Are you a hippie at heart? Do you enjoy wearing bright and colourful clothing? You can learn how to make your own beautiful tie dye shirt patterns.
The process is easy and entertaining. And it is something the whole family will have fun doing.
Below are 21 tie dye patterns you can make at home. We have included a wide variety of designs from the classic spiral tie dye pattern to more intricate and eye-catching projects.
How to Tie Dye
Tie dyeing is easy and addictive. Once you make one shirt, you will want to create more colourful tie dye shirt patterns.
Below are the basic steps for tie dyeing a t shirt:
- Prepare your work area. Tie dying is messy!
- If necessary, pre-soak the t shirt in a soda ash solution. Some dyes do not require this.
- Get the dye ready. Some dyes come ready to use. While others require mixing. And some tie dye shirt patterns use bleach too.
- Pick a pattern and fold the t shirt.
- Follow the tutorial and apply the dye or bleach.
- Let the dye cure. The time will vary depending on the dye used.
- Thoroughly rinse the dye and/or bleach from the t shirt.
- Wash and dry the garment by itself.
Basic Supplies Needed for Tie Dye
- T shirt (100% natural fibre)
- Dye and/or Bleach
- Rubber Bands
- Rubber Gloves
- Large Bucket
- Squeeze Bottles
- Washable Fabric Marker
- Forceps
21 Tie Dye T Shirt Designs
1. The Diva’s Tie Dye Shirt Pattern by tiedyediva
If you are brand new to the art of tie dye, this how to tutorial may be for you. It will teach you how to create perfectly shaped hearts, control stray splatters and bleeds, and cure and wash out for a bright, bold, long-lasting effect.
The 28 page PDF tie dye tutorial is full of step-by-step full colour photos, helpful explanations and tips, and a computer-drawn template.
Find the Tutorial by tiedyediva Here
2. Swirly DIY Tie Dye Shirts Tutorial by andelynn
How much fun is his X tie dyed t shirt? This is a more complicated design. However, this free video tutorial will walk you through each step, so you get remarkable results.
Find the Tutorial by andelynn Here
3. How To Tie Dye : Rainbow Spiral Black Stripes T Shirt
Are you looking for tie dye shirt patterns that will create a classic spiral design? This one is our favourite go-to pattern. It is easy and straightforward. And the end result is perfect.
Find the Tutorial by Erpart Here
4. Kaleidoscope Ice Tie Dye Pattern by Tulip Tie Dye
Did you have a childhood kaleidoscope? They created the most beautiful colour patterns. Now you can create these same patterns using the ice tye dye technique. For this technique, you use powdered dye instead of liquid.
You can find powdered Tulip Tie Dye HERE.
Find the Tutorial by Tulip Tie Dye Here
5. Reverse Gradient Dots Spiral Tie Dye Pattern
Tie dying a t shirt can be time-consuming. But if you want a shirt that stands out from the rest, it is well worth it. This amazing reverse gradient dots tie dye shirt takes over 3 days to make.
Find the Tutorial by Rmr Dyes Here
6. How to Bleach Tie Die Spirograph Design
Here is a fun project that begins with a black or dark coloured t shirt. And instead of applying ink with a squeeze bottle, bleach is applied with a spray bottle.
Once the shirt is bleached and rinsed out, the steps are repeated after the shirt is rewound in the opposite direction.
Find the Tutorial by The Northside Co. Here
7. Tie-dye Pattern : Citrus Burst!
The citric burst tie die technique produces a classic spiral tie dye design with a twist. It is a very interesting pattern that has a crackle type texture.
Find the Tutorial by Riahs Tie Dye Here
8. Rainbow Stripes T-Shirt Hot Water Irrigation Tie Dye Tutorial
Who would have thought that making rainbow inspired tie dye shirt patterns could be so easy? This is a very simple technique that produces a beautiful piece of clothing.
Find the Tutorial by Patch-landia Here
9. How To Tie Dye
This tutorial from Tulip Tie Dye will teach you the basics of creating the classic tie dye swirl pattern. This is an easy pattern to create and is a great first project. You can find the Tulip One-Step Tie Dye Kit HERE. This kit has 18 colours to choose from.
Find the Tutorial by Tulip Tie Dye Here
10. TieDye Pattern P226 : Star Mandala
Show off your tie dye skills with this creative design. This free video tutorial will show you how easy it is to create stunning star mandala tie dye shirt patterns.
Along with the video, there are written step-by-step instructions. This specific design uses 6 colours of dye. However, you can use more or less.
Find the Tutorial by Chandye Here
11. Ghost Tie Dye Printable PDF Download
Use this ghost tie dye pattern to create tie dye shirt patterns for everyone in your family this coming Halloween. This is a printable PDF intended for advanced tie dye artists. The download includes 3 PDFs in 3 different sizes.
Find the Pattern from DeweyBeachTieDye Here
12. How to Tie Dye a Heart by The Neon Tea Party
Create this adorable tie dye heart t shirt by following 6 simple steps. It is an easy tie dye pattern that you can make with your children.
Simply draw ½ the heart, accordion fold along the line, secure the heart with a rubber band, band up the rest of the shirt, add the die, and wash according to the dye directions.
Find the Tutorial by The Neon Tea Party Here
13. How to Tie Dye: Reverse YinYang
This Ying Yang technique creates a remarkable design. And it is easier to make than it looks. The video tutorial will walk you through each step of tying the shirt.
And with this design, you do not need coloured die. Instead, the tie dye pattern is created with a mixture of 50% water and 50% bleach.
Find the Tutorial by LSD Tie Dye TV Here
14. Tie Dye Pattern P178 : Peacock Wig-wag
Check out this video tutorial to learn how to make a peacock wig-wag tie-dye shirt. Creating this tie dye pattern can take a few hours of folding and dyeing.
It is a great pattern for a perfectionist. For best results, you will need to make small and consistent pleats. Continue pleating until the whole length of the shirt is folded neatly. Then the ink is applied in a zig zag pattern.
Find the Tutorial by Chandye Here
15. Jack O Lantern Tie Dye T Shirt Designs from DeweyBeachTieDye
Use this Jack O Lantern tie dye pattern to create fun tie dye shirt patterns for Halloween. This is a printable PDF intended for advanced tie dye artists. The download includes 4 PDFs in 4 different sizes.
Find the Pattern From DeweyBeachTieDye Here
16. T-Shirt Blu Spider Low Water Irrigation Tutorial
The Blu Spider design is very simple to make. The pattern is created by using a pair of forceps and twisting the shirt from the centre.
Find the Tutorial by Patch-landia Here
17. Mickey Mouse Tie Dye T Shirt Designs by Tulip Tie Dye
Are you a fan of all things Disney? If so, this Mickey Mouse tie dye technique would be a fun project to tackle. There are step-by-step instructions along with a video tutorial.
Find the Tutorial by Tulip Tie Dye Here
18. WAXON’s Six Favorite Folding Patterns for Beginners
Here is a digital version of the Six Favorite Folding Patterns for Beginners handout from WAXON Studio. The PDF includes 2 pages of professionally illustrated instructions for creating patterns tie dye and ice dye.
Find the Pattern from WAXONstudio Here
19. How to Tie Dye Cool Stripes by Crafts by Amanda
If you are looking for super simple tie dye shirt patterns, check out this tutorial from Crafts by Amanda. The process is really easy and requires very few supplies. You will need a white top, red dye, rubber bands, plastic wrap, and masking tape.
Find the Tutorial by Crafts by Amanda Here
20. Fungo Mushroom Tie Dye Shirt Pattern by Patch-landia
Learn how to make an impressive mushroom tie dye pattern with this tutorial from Patch-landia. The video tutorial will walk you through the process. To make the mushroom design, you will first have to draw the mushroom. To complete the pattern, you will need a light board.
Find the Tutorial by Patch-landia Here
21. Reverse Tie-Dye Technique
This tutorial will show you how easy it is to tie dye in reverse and get amazing results. To create the reverse design, you will want to start out with a dark 100% cotton t shirt. You will start by removing some of the colour with the included Colour Changer. Then wash the and apply your chosen colours.
You can find the Reverse Tie Die Kit on Amazon HERE
Find the Tutorial by Tulip Tie Dye Here
Have fun and get creative with these tie dye shirt patterns.
If you’re up for more craft-related activities, check out our Painting Mugs Tutorial, Best Craft Kits for Adults, DIY Tile Coasters, DIY Sangria Gift Basket and Kits, Hanging Storage Basket Ideas and a lot more fun projects here.
Tie dye is making a huge comeback! You can find it on shirts, pants, shoes, and so much more. But this re-emerging trend is not cheap. And all the patterns you find in the stores are basic.
Instead of looking like everyone else and spending way too much money, create your own tie dye shirt patterns.
