Tie dye shirts are so fun and easy to make and they are perfect for summer with their bright colors! I was so excited to try out the Tulip Two-Minute tie dye kit rather than having to wait hours or overnight. I added some holographic iron-on to my shirt for a little extra touch, but just the plain tie dye looks amazing too.
I’m excited to be partnering with JOANN on this post. All opinions are my own, as usual.
If you are looking for a really fun, creative activity than look no further than tie dye! Last summer I got hooked when my friend brought shirts for us all to tie dye. My kids both loved it so much! We even tie dyed masks later on for them to wear to school.
I was intrigued when I heard about the Tulip Two-Minute tie dye. I’m a rather impatient person when it comes to crafts, so waiting overnight for tie dye to finish is so hard for me! The Tulip Two-Minute kit uses special microwave containers and your microwave to set the dye. Genius!
My local JOANN store had all the supplies I needed, including a large assortment of Gildan 100% cotton shirts (you have to use 100% cotton for the two-minute tie dye!)
There are a variety of two-minute kits with 4 colors, but I chose the largest kit with 14 colors which is a JOANN exclusive kit! You add water to the dye colors that you are using and you don’t have to use them all at once. I got the larger kit so I can make some tie dye later on in the summer with my kids.
Supplies:
Tulip Two-Minute Tie Dye Kit
Gildan 100% Preshrunk Cotton T-shirt
Wire rack
Parchment paper
Water
Optional:
Cricut Machine
StandardGrip Mat
Cricut Holographic Iron-on
EasyPress or Iron
Your two-minute tie dye kit will come with instructions and you need to read over them entirely before you begin your project. It also includes the correct microwave times depending on your microwave wattage.
The kit has everything you need to dye your shirt. I highly recommend using the gloves so you don’t get dye all over your hands-its really hard to get out!
Choose your colors and decide on what kind of design you want to do. There are some examples of different designs on the back of the instructions.
Prep Your Tie Dye
I loved the mint and light pink colors. Fill up your dye bottle to the line with room temperature water. Make sure to shake it up and get the dye mixed in completely. Hold a paper towel over the lid in case any dye spills out so it won’t go everywhere. Also, don’t be impatient like me and make sure to shake for a full minute, otherwise you might get dark spots where the dye didn’t complete dissolve.
Prep Your Shirt
You need to wet your entire shirt for the two-minute tie dye. Make sure it all gets wet and there aren’t any dry spots. Wring out any excess water. Use the rubberbands to make your design. I used two rubberbands at the top and bottom of my shirt where i changed my dye colors.
Prep Your Work Area
Set your wire rack on a cookie sheet with parchment paper underneath. This will catch any drips of extra tie dye. You can also use a plastic table cloth to protect your work area.
Tie Dye Your Shirt
This is the fun part! Put the dye all over your shirt. You can put as much as you want for a darker dye or as little for a lighter shirt. Make sure to turn your shirt over and get the back of it too.
Once you’re satisfied with your shirt, place it into the microwave container and close it. Follow the directions according to your microwave wattage. Mine was for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Once its done, make sure to leave the container sealed and leave your shirt in the container for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove your shirt, take off the rubberbands, rinse off any extra dye and let it dry. It’s all done!
I was a little sad that the mint color turned out a little more blue, but I love that there were lighter colored dye options because that was the look I was going for.
Optional Step:
If you have a Cricut machine, you can add a saying to your shirt. The “Tough as a Mother” image was one in Design Space.
Resize your image for your shirt, then cut out your holographic iron-on. Weed any excess iron-on material.
Find the correct temperature settings for your press and material on Cricut’s heat guide HERE.
Once you have applied your iron-on your shirt is ready to wear! That was seriously one of the fastest shirts I have made and I love the tie dye colors!
