How to Tie Dye: Concentric Circles (GIFs)

nightqueen

Oct 27, 2020 7:19 AM EDT

Tie dyeing is a cheap and easy way to zhoosh up some old plain clothes. It's also a great crafty activity to do if you're stuck at home bored (which we all are these days). This tutorial will teach you the classic concentric circle style of tie dyeing. Check out our other tutorials for the spiral style and the crumpled style.

What you will need

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To get started on tie dyeing, you'll need the following materials:
- a tie dyeing kit or dye specifically for tie dyeing (prepared according to the instructions). It is most convenient to have dye in squeeze bottles.
- rubber gloves
- a plastic bag or zip lock bag
- rubber bands
- a bucket
- something white you want to dye (cotton usually works best)
Step 1

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Before you get dyeing, wet your white item (for the sake of this article we'll call it a t-shirt). Wring the t-shirt so it's damp but not dripping. This will help it absorb the dye.
Step 2

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Lay the t-shirt on a flat surface. To make concentric circles, begin by pinching a small section of the fabric up and tying a rubber band around it. This will be the inner circle. Make sure the rubber band is tied tight.
Step 3

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Tie another rubber band underneath the first one, a few centimeters away from the first one. This will be the second ring.
Step 4

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Continue adding as many rubber bands to each circle as you want, remembering to tie the rubber bands tightly.
Step 5

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The more rubber bands you tie to the t-shirt, the more detail the t-shirt will have. Try alternating the number of rubber bands on each concentric circle. This will make it look less uniform.
Step 6

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Once you've added as many rubber bands as you want, put on your rubber gloves and start adding dye to the t-shirt. This is where you can get creative, so follow your instincts!
Step 7

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Flip the t-shirt over and dye the other side too, making sure that the dye has soaked through the t-shirt.
Step 8

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Put the t-shirt inside a plastic bag or zip lock bag, and make sure that it's air tight. This ensures that the dye will soak into the t-shirt and it won't dry out. Leave the plastic bag for 8 hours.
Step 9

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After 8 hours, take the t-shirt out and rinse it in cold water while taking off the rubber bands. Don't forget to wear gloves. Rinse the t-shirt until the dye stops coming out of it, then leave it to air dry.
Step 10

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Viola! You have made a tie dye t-shirt with concentric circles. The only thing left to do is wear it and look amazing.