How to Tie Dye a Shirt Naturally With Grape Juice
- 1). Mix a saltwater solution to prepare the shirt to receive and hold the grape-juice dye. Combine table salt and the cold water in the large stockpot. Stir the ingredients well and place the stockpot onto the stove top. Turn the burner on to medium high and heat the water to a simmer.
- 2). Place the T-shirt into the hot water and adjust the heat to medium low to keep the water simmering. Leave the T-shirt in the water for one hour, stirring occasionally while the T-shirt is simmering.
- 3). Remove the stockpot from the heat and remove the T-shirt. Wring out the shirt carefully.
- 4). Place the rubber bands onto the T-shirt to create the tie-dye effects. Grasp a small bunch of T-shirt fabric in your fingers and affix the rubber band around the bunched fabric to hold it in place. Make the rubber band tight enough that it will stay. Every spot you place a rubber band will be a place where the grape juice does not dye the T-shirt so you will have white circles where you place the rubber bands.
- 5). Fill the stockpot with one part grape juice and two parts water. Place the T-shirt into the grape juice and push the T-shirt down under the juice with the wooden spoon.
- 6). Place the stockpot onto the burner and heat the grape juice to a simmer. Continue simmering the shirt until it becomes the color you desire. As you assess the color, remember the shirt will be a slightly lighter shade after it dries. For a very dark dye, remove the stockpot from the heat and allow the shirt to soak overnight.
- 7). Wearing gloves, remove the shirt from the grape juice. Rinse under cool water to remove the excess remnants of the liquid. Remove the rubber bands and air dry the T-shirt.
- 8). Launder the shirt separately using cold water and all-purpose laundry detergent. Never wash the T-shirt with other clothes because the grape juice will run slightly as you wash the shirt. Air dry the T-shirt or in the dryer.
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