Tie Dye Ideas: How to Ice Dye

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare your materials

   This project requires slightly more preparation than regular tie dyeing.
   
   
   
   First, cut strips of cardboard a couple of inches wide and tape them together to create a hoop to keep your shirt crumpled up. This way, as the shirt gets wet, it doesn’t spread out and affect the dyeing process.
   
   Pro tip: You can vary the size of these hoops depending on the size of the item you’re dyeing.
   
   
   
   Also, make sure to wash your shirts before starting (or use pre-washed shirts from your drawers).

2. Set up the dyeing station

   Next, set a rack on a shallow bin, to collect the dyed water. Then put the hoop on the rack. Crumple up your shirt and place it inside the hoop, but make sure it is roughly a single layer of fabric.
   
    

3. Cover the shirt with ice

   Spread ice cubes or crushed ice over the shirt. The more ice, the more water will be absorbed into the shirt, which will spread the dye around. 
   
   

4. Sprinkle dye over the ice

   Carefully sprinkle powdered dye over the ice, being careful to avoid accidentally coloring other dye projects!
   
   
   
   When choosing colors, make sure they are complementary. Choose either all warm colors (like orange and pink) or all cool colors (like blue and green). We used 2-3 different colors for each project.
   
   
   
   The theory behind ice dyeing is that within the powdered dye there are actually multiple colors. When mixed with water, these turn into a single shade. And when you sprinkle the powder onto the ice, you will notice that within a specific color, there are dark and light shades of powder. These melt and dye the fabric different shades. 

5. Let sit

   This is the perfect “set it and forget it” project! Once the dye is on the ice, you just let it do its thing.
   
   
   
   Depending on how hot it is outside, the ice may be completely melted in just a couple hours or it might take much longer.
   
   Note: As the ice melts, if there are spots where the dye is really concentrated, you can add more ice cubes to diffuse it. 
   
   

6. Wait a little longer

   Once the ice is melted, you’ll want to let your clothing sit for another 4-6 hours to make sure the dye is set. The longer the dye sits, the more vibrant the final product will be.
   
   I had a hard time waiting so my sweatshirt turned out a pastel color, but it’s still gorgeous!
   
   
   
   Finally, rinse thoroughly then wash and dry according to the tie dye package instructions.