Dying with Sharpies and Alcohol: Part One
While at the retreat, I attended a demo about dying fabric with Sharpies (permanent markers) and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl.) I already knew alcohol would make Sharpies bleed, but I’d never seen this particular application.
This is the sort of result you can expect. Cool, right?
And this is how you do it:
– Stretch fabric over a drinking glass or vase.
– Secure fabric with two rubber bands.
– Color the top of the fabric with Sharpies. (The colors will bleed so choose ones that will look good together.)
– Spray the top of the fabric, generously, with alcohol.
– You’re done! The alcohol will quickly wick down the sides, taking the Sharpie color with it. Because it’s alcohol it will evaporate quickly and you’ll be done in no time.
Here are a couple of in-progress examples from our retreat.
Here they are drying. The left one, below, is the same one shown on the left above.
It’s that easy!
Here’s our teacher, Cathy Heeter, “showing off” a shirt she had made with this technique. She matched the colors to this pair of pants.
Once home, I decided to play with this on my own, on a t-shirt.
However, they didn’t bleed quite to my liking, so I sprayed them some more. That did the trick. Can you see the additional bleeding below?
These were my results.
I was very happy with them. After the shirt dried I threw it in the dryer for 20 minutes of heat setting.
Later, I added some definition by drawing an outline with a thin Sharpie. (Not diluted this time.) This is purely optional, but I like the effect.
BTW, I put the glass containers inside the shirt, so I was working with the front only. I’ll bet you could do it either way.
In Part Two I show you how to make the small flowers and other details.
Ellen Lindner
Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you liked it, Gwen. I hope you’ll give it a try.
This is really cool! I like the effect. I like your outlining of the shapes, too. Did you do this outside? I think I read that it’s not good to breathe the fumes from alcohol.
Thanks, Kristin.
I think the outlining adds a lot to it, and you could even add more if you wanted to create petals, etc.
I did it inside and wasn’t bothered by the smell. However, at the retreat, with about 10 of us doing it simultaneous, we took it outside, which I think was a good idea. (And the Sharpies can smell too!)
How fun is that! I wish I lived next door!
Hey, if you lived next door, we’d definitely do it together! In the mean time, why not try it on your own? I think you’ll love it.
What’s it like after laundering the shirt? Any fading or running or weakness in the fabric?
Hi Susan,
I’ve only washed it once and I can see no changes. (After it was air-dried, I put it in the dryer for another 20 minutes to heat set it.)
Well, back in the 70’s we used white vinegar and water to set the dye…like you do when dying Easter eggs….that was rit dye..try it.
Right. Same idea!
I LOVE this! What a great idea. I’m doing it!
Have fun!
can this work on a sweatshirt?
Sure! I think it might fade after a lot of washing. But definitely give it a try.
I always wanted to try this. It looked like so much fun. I think I will try it with my 22 year old granddaughter’s.
Oh, yes, Kay, this is a blast! And super easy. Be sure to check part two for the cute little flowers. http://adventurequilter.com/dying-with-sharpies-and-alcohol-part-two/
I have 4 Neon Sharpies, 6 primary color Sharpies, fat black Sharpies, Silver & Gold water-based Sharpies, plus 12 fabric markers! But I want to decorate a brand new never-washed light gray tshirt. Do you think it would work out okay on gray background? Would the Neon Sharpies work best then? Thanks so much for the tutorial, and any helpful advice! God bless! Maureen
Maureen, I’m not sure. I’ve never tried it on fabric other than white. Is there an inconspicuous spot where you can try it? Either way, I’d try it on a scrap of white first, just to see what color the markers will morph to. (Some of them change.)
I want to try this! Would it work and be permanent on silk? I would to try it on a silk scarf blank. Thank ,
Hi Claudette,
I haven’t tried it on silk, but I’m thinking it would work. Of course, you’d want to test it first. I imagine the color will travel further on silk than it did on cotton. Have fun with it!
I had forgotten to include my email
Got it. It shows when you post a comment.
Can they be heat set with an iron instead of using the dryer?
Thanks
Yes, Judy, that works well.