Glue Gun Tie Dye Tutorial

This is not your typical tie dye project and here’s why:  I love the look of tie die.  I hate all that boiling and soaking.  I hate the endless moments of twisting and untwisting or cutting rubber bands.  I hate the fact that so often all of this tedious work results in a muddy looking mess instead of what was expected.

Which lead me to the question, is there a way to get around the parts I hate to get to the look I want. Which lead me back to my trusty glue gun.  She’s held true during countless hours of affixing dried beans, recycled wine corks, and felt circles but could she do the impossible and create a tie dyed t-shirt effect?

The answer is a resounding yes.  Here’s how to put your own glue gun to work.

Supplies:

Glue Gun and glue
A Cold Dye Kit (I used this one by Tulip)
White cotton T-shirt/onsie

1.  Simply heat your gun and use it to draw on the design/pattern of your choice.  In my first trial I went with the traditional swirl. You’ll want to place a piece of cardboard between the layers of the shirt so the glue doesn’t fuse the cotton together.

2.  Let the glue set for at least 10 minutes to ensure cooling and then get to work dying the shirt per the kits advice. Don’t panic if the dye bleeds under the hot glue.

3.  Once the shirt is dyed as wanted, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 6 to 8 hours.  I let mine go over night.  The longer it sits the more vibrant the colors.

4.  Fill your sink with a solution of cold water and white vinegar and let soak for 10 minutes.  Wring out and rinse until the color no longer bleeds.

5. Start from one corner of your glue and peel back from the fabric.

The areas of hot glue should be white.

6.  Wash your shirt ALONE with white vinegar added to the water.  Then machine dry.

7.  Stand back and admire your work.

One of the things I love about the glue gun factor, is that it provides the opportunity to play with shapes.  I love how the swirl effect turned out, especially because this one begins with a heart.

And here’s an example that was chevron inspired.

Thanks for hanging with me stop in today. Let me know if you have any questions and if you give this a try I’d love to see how they turn out so if you give it a go, be sure to share over on our Facebook page.