Today we are sharing one of our favorite tie dye methods with this DIY Muted Ice Dye Sweatshirt! We've done a bit of ice dye on this blog before and since then our obsession has only grown! It's one of the more organic-looking methods because as the ice melts it swirls the dye, creating a watercolor design that will surprise you every time!
Last week we made the exciting announcement that our NEW book, The DIY Guide to Tie Dye Style, will be out May 25th! It will include 20 fresh tie dye projects from wearables to home and party decor to gifts and more! It's a more modern take on the typical summer-camp tie dye and we are so proud of the beautiful projects you'll find inside. We think you're really going to love it! To celebrate, we'll be rolling out some fun new tie dye projects leading up to the date when you finally have the book in your hands, like this one! Here is how to make it:
Supplies Needed to Make a DIY Muted Ice Dye Sweatshirt
Tulip One-Step Tie Dye in red, yellow, navy and coral
Heather grey 100% cotton sweatshirt
Ice
Wire tray or rack
Dye-safe container
Gloves
Plastic Wrap
How to Make a DIY Muted Ice Dye Sweatshirt
Step 1: Place the rack over your container. The purpose of this setup is to keep the sweatshirt elevated over where the water will drip down. You don't want your sweatshirt to sit in dye.
Step 2: Wet your sweatshirt completely. Then, bunch up the sweatshirt on the rack, making sure that none of the fabric hangs over the container.
Step 3: Cover the sweatshirt in ice.
Step 4: Sprinkle the dye over the ice, covering it completely with dye.
Step 5: Let the dye melt completely. (You can sit the container in the sun to speed up the process, if desired!)
Step 6: Once the dye has melted completely, put on gloves and wrap the sweatshirt in plastic wrap. Let set overnight.
Step 7: Once set, rinse sweatshirt until the water runs clear. Wash the sweatshirt by itself in the washer and hang to dry.
That's it! We love the way the grey of the sweatshirt and the thickness of the cotton results in a more muted tones and more subtle swirling!
One of our biggest tips for success when ice dyeing is to think about the color wheel and only use colors that will blend well together. Sticking with red, yellow and blue typically yields gorgeous results or sticking with all warm or all cool colors to avoid muddled browns.
Are you ready to try ice dye? We'd love to see what you make!
Happy dyeing!
ox. Liz
Did you use 100% cotton for the sweatshirt? The link takes me to a 50/50 sweatshirt. I know with some other projects I have done, 1005 cotton works better.
Thank you!
100% cotton is always the best, but we’ve used the Hanes 50/50 with success too!
Curious about what the back looks like – does it look the same as the front?
Yes! As the ice melts, the dye soaks through the sweatshirt, so the back is similar to the front!