Tie-Dye Virgin!

So I maybe did tie dye once in 4th grade but mostly with the teachers help, and I saw this tutorial on Vitamin C the other day for tie-dye in a jar and it looked pretty amazing, I'm deff gonna be trying that.  While I'm searching for the right size jars, I purchased some white T-shirts and I've had some fabric dye for a while that I've been needing to use, so I decided I could do some regular tie-dye.  So I watched a few vids on youtube (Wolfechos was pretty amazing)  and got started.  I prewashed yesterday planning on actually doing it after, but time got away from me and I just went ahead and put it off for today.  I just poured some vinegar in on a small cycle in my machine, I read a lot of different prewash instructions, all pretty conflicting, but most say not to use detergent on the first wash, and I had some vinegar and figured it wouldn't hurt, but it does seem pretty important that you do prewash your fabric.

 

So...supplies

Rubber Gloves

Powder fabric dye, and I suppose you could you liquid also, I'm not sure, this is Dylon, I don't know much about it, it was given to me, but it's from Hobby Lobby

Squeeze bottles, one per color is ideal but I made do with 2

Rubber bands, different sizes

White cotton things, I used 2 shirts and some panties :)

Washable marker (optional)

 

So pretty much everything has said to prepare your dye first, I started with blue and red, there weren't mixing instructions for bottles so I just kinda went with my gut and eyeballed it, about a 1/4 a packet of dye with a cup of warm water and 1 TBS of salt, hopefully it turns out alright.

 

I HATE WHITE PANTIES!  These came in one of those 6 packs you know and have been living in the back of my underwear drawer till an occasion such as this came about.  Also, they've never been worn, I feel I should say that, lol.

 

I saw something on how to make a heart deisgn, so I thought the panties would be good for that, I'm not sure if it will be on both sides, but I deff wanted it on the back.  You need to fold in the middle and use a washable marker to draw a half heart.

 

So you go on the line you drew and start accordian folding, you know in and out.

 

Once you fold to the other end of the line, it should make a semi-straight line.

 

Rubber band over the line.

I just did a few more rubber bands all the way down.

  

I only ever knew of a couple of different way to tie-dye, I'm glad I researched before hand.  This is a spinning one, you should have a flat surface you can walk around, I used a TV tray table (whatever you call them).

 

Where you start is where the middle of the design will be I'm pretty sure, I started first off to the side.

 

So you pinch and start walking around the table, making spirally type folds.

 

Mine doesn't look as great as others, but it's my first time, I'm sure it gets easier, I actually started over in the center on this one.

I tried to rubber band around the outside of my bundle but it just wasn't working out so I did it like this, which I'm pretty sure serves the same purpose.  Time to dye, don't forget your gloves!

 

I dyed in the sink, not the best idea, but again, trial and error.  This is the panties, it was hard to take pictures as I went, but you get the idea. 

 

I went ahead and used the red and blue first on the shirt, I'm pretty sure you can do pretty much anything as far as pattern goes, on this on I decided on pie pieces.  After, I flipped and did the other side, trying to do the same thing.  I had a lot of each left so I mixed them, hoping for a pretty purple.

 

The purple looks kinda like a melted grape popsicle, I'm ok with that, lol, I also did yellow, flip and finish up the other side.  These colors look promising, I'm pretty excited.

 

The guy I got most of the tips from says to bag them for a few days to let them set up, I don't think I can wait that long, but at least 24 hrs for sure.  Stay tuned for the results!

 

Also, on a completely unrelated note, look at this tiny tiny cup, it was smoothie sample Friday at Mcdonalds, the smoothie sucked (strawberry banana, but this cup made me all kinds of happy!

Free Stuff, Duct Tape Wallet, and New Bows!

Just about to go to bed but I want to try and post once a day, and I had a few things to share.  Went out tonight to see my friends Matt and Joey play at a local open mic night, they did good and we had a good time.  Anyways, moving on...

 

So I love free stuff, who doesn't right, it's amazing!  I been signing up for a while but sometimes I will slack off for a couple weeks but then it makes me sad when there is no free stuff in my mailbox at least a couple of times a week, this is what I've gotten this week.  Some Purina One dog food, I don't have any animals living with me but I have friends that do, also, I'll pretty much sign up for anything, I'm a fiend!  Dove for Men body wash and mini deodorant, I'm so using this for myself because it smells amazing.  Mio Water Enhancer, I was shocked to get a full size sample, I haven't tried it yet but it's Strawberry Watermelon, sounds yumm.  My most favorite, these awesome Luggage Tags from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, you can upload your own pictures and put in any info you want on it, you get two of the same, very cool.  When I signed up for them it was one of those things that I had no intentions of actually recieving them, I thought too good to be true, I was extremely happy when I opened it up!

 

My first attempt at a duct tape wallet, I also used cardboard to make it stiff because I wanted to make a girl wallet, I still have to add a little Velcro bc it wont stay closed it's too thick. 

The inside I'm most proud of I like the card holder part, it was actually less complicated than I thought, I even put plastic in the id part!  I didn't go by anything I just looked at some pictures and went to town, it turned out pretty good I think.

Me and Hollie (follow her!)are some bow making bitches, I finished these up tonight.  I love the big one, I experimented with using some craft wire and beads in the center, pretty awesome!

Duct Tape Bows!

So this is the kind of bows that I started making at first, cute, very simple, but I saw some on the Duct Tape website that I think just look so much better and it's very similar to the one above, just a couple of extra steps.

 

Two pieces of duct tape, I'ld say like 6 to 8 in, I really just eyeball duct tape measurements.

 

Stick them together, you could use 2 of the same or 2 different, I think 2 different gives it a little something extra.

  

Make it a loop, stick a small piece of tape at the seam to hold it in place.

Pinch in the center. 

 

Fold in half long ways.  Make sure things are looking symmetrical. 

 

Now fold the sides up, making an accordion fold 

 

Hold in the center, this will be the back.

 

This is the front.  Use a small piece of tape for the center, I decided to use my inside color, turquoise.

 

Tape the center, and fluff out the sides with your fingers.

Use a bobby to make it a hair bow, just slide it under the duct tape on the back.

 

I love these so much!

Duct Tape Flowers With Buttons!

So, It's been a minute since I posted anything, I'm not sure why, but I discovered these and shared it with my friend Hollie (Hatchet Hollie) and we are now bow making fools!  First off I saw these first on Vitamin C, she has a lot of amazing things on there check it out!  She has the link on her page Helen's Blog, I really wanted to follow her but what she's on is not blogger and I'm fairly new, I guess I can't follow people that aren't?  Suggestions?  Anyways I'm just in love love love with these, the tutorial on Helen's Blog is for just a basic one, very cute and super duper easy!  We've been playing around with different things like length and cutting designs to change them up. 

 

So start with two pieces of tape, same or different, I think two different colors or a color and a design look more interesting, about 18 in.

Stick them together, this is very tricky, a smooth flat surface is best, I'm getting pretty good at getting it close to perfect, not so much on this one lol.

 

I decided to try a wave design, I hadn't tried it yet, I was disappointed with it, but it turned out not to matter.  Btw, this is going to make two flowers, I call them opposite twins.

 

A little sewing involved, simple though, I've been using embroidery thread, it's worked out pretty good.  For the most part it really doesn't matter what color, but a couple of times I have wished I used a color somewhat close and since I have no silver thread, I chose red.

 

Start in the corner and just do in and out stitches, super easy.

 

As you so, you're going to pull the thread so it starts to crinkle.

 

Keep crinkling 

 

Little more

 

Keep going till you reach the other corner, tie off.  You should have a spiralish thing going on.

Cut some felt for backing, this step is optional I just think it looks nicer.

 

Pick out some buttons.

 

Take some time to play with the shape, at this length, it's gonna overlap, once you find what you like and put a couple of blobbies (teehee) of glue (your choice, I like it hot) to hold it in place.

Glue on the backing, I apologize for my legs, lol my glue gun cord is pretty short.

 

Put something in your clip before gluing, so you don't glue it together, I been using this scrap duct tape, it actually works better than anything else I've used.

 

Feel around the edges for a place it will be easy to open the clip and glue!

Glue on your button(s) and you're finished, see easy right?

 

Opposite twins!

This tutorial is for one of the alternatives, I want to make a few to show the different things you can do with this same basic principle.