Spiral Tie Dye Technique
From LoveToKnow Crafts
The spiral tie dye technique is one of the "classic" designs used by amateur and professional dyers alike. There are many variations of spiral designs, but most use this basic spiralling wrap method and vary in the amount of dye applied and the number of colors.
Instructions for Using a Spiral Tie Dye Technique
If you want to create a spiral design on your tie dyed shirt, you may be surprised at the simplicity of creating this design.
- Lay your shirt flat on your work surface.
- Identify the spot that you want as the "center" of your spiral.
- Grab that spot, scrunching the fabric a little and slowly start to spin the shirt from that place, until the fabric is all wrapping around your center point. Ultimately, it will look like an untidy cinnamon roll.
- Then, holding your "cinnamon roll" tightly in place, wrap one rubber band all the way around it, as if tying a package horizontally; wrap a second one around it going across the first.
- Apply a different color of dye to each "quadrant" of the shirt roll. The more dye you use, the bolder and more saturated your spirals will be. If your dye is not extremely saturated, there will be a lot of white left in the shirt, as in the spiral tie dyed shirt shown above.
 Preparing a shirt for spiral tie-dye |  Rubber bands wrapped for tie dye spiral |  Applying dye to a spiral design shirt |
Continue with the basic tie dye instructions.
Note: If you are tie dying with another person, it is helpful to have one person wrap the rubber bands while the other holds the spiral-twisted shirt in place.
Spiral Tie Dye Pictures
 Another tie dye pattern |  Fabric dyed into a spiral |  Shirt with bright tiedyed pattern |
Learn More
Comments
Vickie,
Unfortunately, your fabric needs to be a light colored cotton item for tie dye to work properly. However, I have seen people "paint" on fabric with bleach to create interesting designs. You can also use foam stamps in bleach to stamp on your fabric. This might be your best option for saving an otherwise ruined shirt.
Dana Hinders
LoveToKnow Crafts Editor
-- Contributed by: DanahindersCan you tye dye some thing that is red? It got splashed with bleach and I thought tye dye would help other than tossing it. Thank s Vickie Bell
-- Contributed by: VickieIcey,
You're in luck! LoveToKnow Crafts has posted instructions for the Heart Tie Dye Technique.
Dana Hinders
LoveToKnow Crafts Editor
-- Contributed by: Danahinders
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