No-Tie Tie-Dyed Shirt Using Pasta

Do you remember the bright tie-dyed shirts of the 1970's and 1980's? I had never made one before.

For the Rainbow Instructable, I decided I wanted to make a rainbow-colored tie-dyed t-shirt. I really wanted to do something different than the usual tying the shirt with rubber bands, but how could I make it new and unique??? Would dry spaghetti noodles make a design on the shirt?? I decided to try it to find this out. Follow along with me to see how I did it!

plastic tablecloth

white t-shirt, or color of choice

dry spaghetti noodles

plastic gloves

dying product (I bought a kit of 5 rainbow colors of dry powder with shaker bottles)

glass measuring cup

water

5 spray bottles

small funnel

hanger

Drape the table cloth over a table.

Run the shirt under water and wring it out well.

Add some water to a measuring cup. Place the yellow dye powder into a bottle. (Or follow directions to prepare the dye you have purchased.) Use the funnel and carefully pour in enough water to fill the bottle. Twist the top onto the bottle and shake well.

Use the funnel to carefully add the yellow dye from the bottle to the spray bottle. Twist on the spray top. Rinse the funnel to remove any remaining dye.

Starting at the center of the t-shirt, spray the yellow dye onto the shirt in a circular motion.

Drop and spread out the dry spaghetti noodles over the yellow spot in the center of the shirt.

Add green dye powder and water to another shaker bottle. Shake well. Using the funnel, add the green dye to another spray bottle. Rinse the funnel.

Spray the green dye in a circular fashion around the yellow circle, covering some of the spaghetti noodles as you spray.

Prepare the blue dye using the same method of adding blue powder and water to the bottle. Shake it and add to a spray bottle. Spray blue around the green color and over the noodles.

Prepare the purple dye using the powder and water in the shaker bottle, then add it to a sprayer. Spray it around the blue on the shirt, covering more spaghetti.

Lastly, make the red dye using the red powder and water in a shaker bottle. Shake then add to a sprayer. Spray the red dye around the purple on the shirt.

Spray more yellow dye around the outer edges of the shirt to complete the design.

Carefully roll the shirt up to remove the spaghetti from the front of the shirt.

Here is the finished dyed shirt! I was quite pleased for my first time! I thought about dying the back of the shirt but this was how it already looked! I liked it just the way it is!

Since the shirt is still damp, hang to dry in a spot where the dye can’t drip onto anything.

I had leftover dye in all of the colors. It was so fun making my tie-dyed shirt that I decided to make another one. I went through my closet, found this old shirt and dyed it. Then I decided to just spray a little here and there on the back of the shirt.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how to make a tie-dyed rainbow-colored shirt without tying the shirt, using dry spaghetti noodles to make the design! It really was a fun project!