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You are here: Home / Naturally Frugal Living / How to Reverse Tie-Dye a T-Shirt

How to Reverse Tie-Dye a T-Shirt

July 1, 2015 by Emily 4 Comments

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Instead of tie-dyeing a shirt, you can use bleach to reverse tie-dye a t-shirt.

How to Reverse Tie Dye a T-Shirt.

I’m starting to see tie-dye popping up in stores more and more. It seems to be another one of those old trends making its way around again just in time for summer. Tie-dyeing is a fun activity to do right at home and is also a frugal way to upcycle clothing or just about any other fabric.

You may be familiar with the standard tie-dye technique that uses liquid dyes either applied directly to your fabric or used in a bucket for dipping. There’s also one more technique that I discovered recently that achieves the same cool designs without the need for dyes.

All you need to reverse tie-dye is water and liquid bleach. Instead of applying dyes to a plain white fabric, you start with a solid color and alter the already existing dye applied by the manufacturer. This technique is really easy and affordable as you may be able to find everything you need already lying around your home. Solid color t-shirts are usually well under a dollar at thrift stores, so go grab a few and give this fun activity a try.

How to Reverse Tie Dye a T-Shirt

DIY Reverse Tie Dye Supplies

Materials:

  • 2 cups liquid bleach
  • 2 gallons of water
  • 2-3 solid colored t-shirts
  • 1 bucket
  • Rubber gloves
  • Rubber bands

Instructions for tie technique #1:

Reverse Tie Dye Technique

1. Lay your fabric on a flat surface.

2. Use your fingers to pull up the fabric from the middle, and allow the rest to fall to the sides.

3. Apply rubber bands securely starting from the tip of the fabric and working your way down.

Instructions for tie technique #2:

Reverse Tie Dye Technique #2

1. Lay your fabric on a flat surface.

.2 Use your hands to grab the fabric from the middle and turn counter-clockwise.

3. Continue turning the fabric until it is wound tightly into itself.

4. Keeping your fabric wound tightly, apply rubber bands to resemble a web.

Instructions for dyeing:

1. Fill a bucket with 2 gallons of water.

2. Carefully mix in the 2 cups of bleach.

3. Using rubber gloves, submerge your tied fabric in the water.

Reverse Tie Dye with Bleach

4. Check your fabric in 1 hour intervals. Some fabrics may fade faster than others but be careful with this. Bleach is strong and works quickly. My shirts were good to go after 1 hour.

5. When you’re ready to remove the fabrics, give them a good squeeze to drain any additional water.

6. Rinse them well under cold water.

7. Wash your new reverse tie-dyes by themselves according to your regular wash routine prior to wearing.

Reverse tie dyed tee shirt

My kids enjoyed picking out their own shirts for this activity, but aside from that I completed this one on my own. Bleach is nothing to mess around with, so reverse tie-dyeing is best left to adults or even teenagers given the right amount of supervision.

More Ways to Upcycle Cloths

  • How to Tie-Bleach a T-Shirt
  • 10 Awesome Ways to Deconstruct a T-Shirt
  • 3 Ways to Hem Cut-Offs
  • How to Make a Short Sleeve Shirt from a “Double” Sleeve Shirt
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Comments

  1. Vivian says

    June 15, 2021 at 9:00 am

    Awesome I had bought a hoodie and the lady who made it she said she went to thrift stores and yard sales with spots on them she just tie-dyed them. I had to tie dye my other hoodie that was printed on it saying proud Navy mom well washed it at a friends house and it got a big stain on the back so I went and tie dyed it too.

    Reply
  2. Ntina says

    July 9, 2015 at 2:45 pm

    I was looking for a way to tie-dye a tshirt because I see the trend coming back too! (and it’s cute) I love your ideas and they seem really easy to make. I’m going to give it a try! Thank you! Found you at a linky!

    Reply
  3. Mary Gilbert says

    July 8, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    Shared! Thanks for posting on Moonlight & Mason Jars

    Reply
  4. Nina Lewis says

    July 8, 2015 at 11:35 am

    I’m dropping by from Treasure Box Tuesday link party. I absolutely LOVE this idea!! In fact, I think I like it better than the regular tie dying. I’m thinking of all of the shirts that I have in my closet that I can do this to! My kids tease me that bleach is my ‘power tool’ (like my husband’s Shopsmith is his power tool…). Now I’ve got a really great reason to use it!

    I have a link party that I am trying to grow. I invite you to share this idea (and a couple of others) at my Grandma Ideas Sharing Time link up at http://grandmaideas.com. I think my readers would LOVE this idea, too.

    My linkup is open Wednesday through Friday at midnight. I hope to see you there!

    All the best,
    Nina

    Reply

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Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches by Alea Milham

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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