This week I had some time on my hands, so I decided to experiment with a craft. I'd seen DIYs about tie dying with permanent markers and rubbing alcohol, and I really wanted to try it. But first, I sewed this tank top from some white cotton stretch knit.
I didn't use a pattern; I litterally traced around a shirt I already own to get the shape. It was quick and easy!
I used my jumbo ruler to trace out some line guides, so that I had some sort of idea if I was drawing straight across or not for the stripes.
Then, using permanent markers, I coloured in a random pattern of stripes. I have a plastic bag in the shirt, protecting the back from getting any marker that bleeds through. NOTE: Black markers don't bleed very well, and I should have used a different colour looking back now.
Using a big eye dropper, (I got mine at a pharmacy in the section where you can get things to help kids take medicine. It was cheap) squirted rubbing alcohol all over the shirt. As you can see, I have a bag between the two layers of shirt, as the ink will bleed right through to the back if you do not! I also have a garbage bag underneath everything because I was doing this outside. (I would have used newspaper, but I didn't have one!)
The finished product! I used a blow dryer on "hot" to "heat set" the ink, so hopefully it won't fade away if I wash it. Other options for heat setting is to stick it in they dryer for a while. I don't have a free dryer, so hair dryer it was!
My computer took this picture by accident and I thought it was funny!
Here is the back:
You can see on the bottom left that a bit of marker leaked through :(
A close up of the blended colours.
And that's it! What do you think of this DIY shirt? Does it look too homemade, or can I actually wear this out this summer? I like it, and I think I'm going to wear it to the beach this weekend!
