We all know about the remarkable comeback of tie-dye in 2020. Well, I've been super into ice dyeing for a few years now, and I prefer the organic look of ice dye over classic tie dye. BUT… I've experimented a bit to achieve an even more unique hand-dyed look, and I wanted to share this technique with you! This is more of a confetti style; you still have to give up quite a bit of control, but I like this technique's results.

Thank you to Auteurs Impex for providing the clothing items for this project. Auteurs Impex is a great place to find wholesale blanks Hoodies for various projects, and I love that there is no minimum to order from them! Ordering was easy, and shipping was fast. You can find out more here Auteurs Impex.

SUPPLY LIST:

  • Cotton clothing items, 100% cotton is preferred, but a blend of at least 60% cotton or more should also work, your results might not be as bright. Auterus Impex provided my shirts and sweatshirt.
  • 5 Gallon bucket for the Soda Ash Soak
  • Soda Ash Soak- 1 Cup soda ash to 1 gallon of water (I usually have 3-5 gallons prepared, this can be reused) 
  • Tarp or Drop Cloth for your work surface
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Face or Dust Mask for working with loose dye, especially if you are working indoors
  • Mesh Strainer- a variety of sizes if you have them. OR you can sprinkle with your fingers or a plastic spoon; I went with just a plastic spoon. 
  • Spray Bottle of Water (optional)
  • Synthrapol for washing (optional- This helps keep the white parts of the fabric white during the wash process)

 

 

A FEW TIPS BEFORE WE START!

  •  When choosing the dyes you want to use here, note that if you choose a primary color, like yellow, you probably won't get any variation in the color of that dye. However, if you choose a color in the gray family, these colors are comprised of many different colors to make that specific color gray. Meaning with this technique, you will get a variety of colors that show up on your clothing item, even if you are using 1 gray. It sounds a little science and confusing, but it will make more sense once you see photos of the process! 
  •  I like to let my fabric sit until it's mostly dry. You can let it sit overnight, giving it more time for the dye to mingle and possibly spread. So if you want that speckled confetti look, I would wash it sooner, about 45 mins-1 hour after applying the dye. 
  • This technique is considered a 'dry dye' even though you need to soak your item in the soda ash. We aren't adding more water or ice, just using the dry powder dye on top of the damp fabric.
  • If you find the fabric too dry while applying the dye, you can use your spray bottle with water to dampen it again. You can also use the spray bottle on top of the dye to move it around and make it spread if that's a look you want to achieve. 
  • Some fabric/clothing has a film called 'sizing', which could affect the outcome of the dye, and you can wash your clothes/fabric with Synthrapol to ensure they are dye ready. 
    • This technique is considered a 'dry dye' even though you need to soak your item in the soda ash. We aren't adding more water or ice, just using the dry powder dye on top of the damp fabric.

NOW LET'S GET TO THE FUN PART!

STEP ONE:

Soak your items in the soda ash mixture for 15-20 minutes. I know this is the boring part but the soda ash is how your dye will stick to the fabric. While doing that you can choose your colors and prep your workspace. If you look closely at most colors, you can see the variety that makes up that specific color. 

 

STEP TWO:

After your item is soaked, wring it out until it's damp and lay it on your work surface (tarp or dropcloth). Then, get your colors out and start sprinkling! I chose the plastic spoon method because I had the most control. I held it up about a foot or 2 above my shirt to get a light dusting. For this first shirt, I went with 2 different blacks to see how varied the results would be. I used Better Black and Raven. The primary colors pop here, too; it's so cool to me! Once I sprinkled it to my liking, I set my shirt aside to dry a little. 

For the 2nd shirt, I used the same process but with primary colors: Light Red, Turquoise, and Lemon Yellow. Each of these dyes is made up of only 1 singular color, so any color variation comes from the overlap of colors onto the fabric. I wanted to show the difference between the primary and the colors of many other colors, like the Better Black and Raven. These primary colors still have a cool result; they are more one-dimensional. While I let those dry in the sun for a bit, I moved on to the hoodie. 

 

STEP THREE:

I used Mist Gray, Powder Pink, Amethyst & Orchid for the hoodie. I used the same basic technique; however, when I sprinkled all of the colors to my liking, I hung it up outside to dry for a bit. Hanging it caused the dye to streak downward & I love this result the best! It looks like watercolor brush strokes to me. 

I let all of these items sit out for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, and then I rinsed them well and threw them all in the washer/dryer together. I did wash them with Synthrapol, which isn't necessary, but it does help keep the colors from bleeding together or bleeding onto the white of your garment. If you rinsed your items well enough, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

And you're done! Now try not to dye every white piece of clothing you own; I dare you!