How to Tie Dye a Hoodie

Soaking the Hoodie in Fixer

Place a plastic tablecloth over a large table to prevent stains and spills. The tie dyeing process can get very messy, so it's best to place a plastic tablecloth over a large table to reduce spills and prevent the dyes from staining your furniture. Pin or clamp it down so it doesn't shift while working with the hoodie. Consider tie dyeing your hoodie in the garage or on a fold-out table in the yard so you don't accidentally stain anything important in the home.

Mix dye fixer with water in a large bucket to make the dye stick. Dye has a habit of fading over time, so mix ⁄4 c (180 ml) of dye fixer per 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water in a bucket. For a natural dye fixer, use soda ash, but if you don't mind using chemicals, opt for sodium carbonate. You can purchase dye fixer at crafting stores. Wear rubber gloves during the entire tie dye process to prevent irritation from various components and dyes. Use a large bucket or bowl instead of a small one to tie dye a hoodie, as unlike a t-shirt or small piece of clothing, a hoodie takes up a lot of space. If you get any of the solution in your eyes, flush it out with water. If it starts to feel especially painful, contact your poison control hotline.

Wash and wring out your white, cotton hoodie to get rid of oils and dirt. Put your white hoodie in the washer by itself on a spin cycle, then either put it in the dryer or wring it out by hand if you don't want to wait too long to move on. This lets the hoodie absorb the most dye possible, and it will get rid of oils that can affect the tie dye design. A white cotton hoodie is best as the patterns and dyes show through much more clearly. Feel free to use a colored hoodie, but stay away from dark colors and consider how the hoodie's base color will mix with your chosen dyes.

Soak the hoodie in the dye fixer solution for 5 to 10 minutes. Place the hoodie into the mix of dye fixer and water and let it soak for around 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is completely saturated. Wring the shirt out, and lay it flat on the plastic tablecloth. You can re-use the same solution for additional things you'd like to tie dye!

Prepare a 3 US gal (11 L) bucket of warm water and add dye. Make the water about as hot as you would use for a baby's bath — around 90–98 °F (32–37 °C). Mix in about 2 to 4 tsp (5 to 10 g) of your chosen powdered procion dye and mix it around with a metal spoon until the dye is dissolved completely. If you want to add multiple colors to the hoodie, prepare additional buckets of warm water and dye to keep the colors separated. Add more dye powder to create stronger hues, or less dye powder for subdued colors.

Creating Different Tie-Dye Patterns

Create a single-color swirl by twisting the center of the hoodie. With your hoodie placed flat on the plastic tablecloth, grip the center of the hoodie between the armpits and twist in one direction until the hoodie is bunched together. Tie 5 or 6 rubber bands around the outside of the hoodie to keep the swirl intact. Soak it in the dye solution bucket for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The folds in the swirled hoodie won't soak nearly as much dye as the exposed areas, creating a white swirl in the middle of the hoodie spiraling outwards!

Make a bullseye pattern by pinching the hoodie's center with rubber bands. Pinch the center of your hoodie, grabbing both the front and back in the same motion, and raise the fabric about 1 in (2.5 cm) upwards. Secure a rubber band tightly around the rise, then keep applying rubber bands spaced 1 in (2.5 cm) apart downwards until the whole hoodie is wrapped in a cylindrical shape. Then, soak the hoodie for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Don't pull fabric through the rubber banded areas, instead pull the top of the cylinder upwards to bring the rest of the hoodie with it, and apply rubber bands as you go. You'll end up with a center circle with larger circles surrounding it, like a target!

Create a multicolored diagonal stripe by folding accordion-style. From a bottom corner of your hoodie, fold towards the opposite shoulder about 2 in (5.1 cm). Then, turn the hoodie around and fold it another 2 in (5.1 cm). Continue flipping the hoodie and folding the corner over until it is just a 2 in (5.1 cm) rectangle, and tightly attach rubber bands every 1 in (2.5 cm) to hold it together. To achieve the dual-coloration, soak half of the rubber banded hoodie in one dye bucket for 30 minutes, then soak the other half in a different color for 30 minutes. Your hoodie will come out with two diagonal halves of color with white, parallel lines spread out every 2 in (5.1 cm)!

Create a sunburst pattern by pinching the hoodie and using liquid dye. Pinch the fabric of the hoodie, grabbing both the front and back fabric in one motion, and secure the pinched area with tight rubber bands. Keep doing this in different spots until you are satisfied with the number of sunbursts. Apply liquid procion dye to the unpinched parts of the hoodie first, then squeeze just a few drops on top of each rubber banded area. It's super easy to use multiple colors for sunburst patterns. Alternate the color of the fabric and the sunbursts by dripping a complementary color of dye into the pinched area! You do not need to use the dye bucket for this pattern, but if you do not have liquid procion dye, it will do the job just fine — though it won't come out as saturated in color. Soak it for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the dye bucket.

Finishing the Job

Let the hoodie sit, wrapped in rubber bands, for up to 2 hours. When you have finished soaking the hoodie in dye, don't take off the rubber bands, and let it sit on a plastic tablecloth or outside for 2 hours. This allows the dyes to deeply set into the fabric of the hoodie, and also makes it easier to wash out excess dye later on without affecting the color too much. If you want the colors to saturate even more, leave the hoodie overnight. Consider wrapping the hoodie in plastic wrap as it sits to prevent spilling and stains as the dye sets and liquid drains.

Take off the rubber bands and wash the hoodie until the water runs clean. In a large sink or in the bath, run the hoodie under cold water until there is no more dye coming through. This washes away any excess dye and the cold water deepens the saturation of the dye that has taken hold. It can be beneficial to start with slightly warm water and gradually turn it down to ice cold, as it washes away more dye at first, but this can also cause the dye to bleed if the water is too hot.

Wash the hoodie in the washing machine and let it dry. After washing it with cool water, put the hoodie in the washing machine by itself on a cold cycle using regular detergent. It may take several washes, but after it comes out free from bleeding dye, stick it in the dryer, and enjoy your new tie dyed hoodie! Don't use an extra-powerful or specialty detergent as it could cause the dye to bleed if it hasn't fully set. Opt for regular, run-of-the-mill laundry soap to get it clean and ready to wear!