Pro Tapes® for Tie-Dye: Success or Bust?

We tried using our Pro Tapes® tape to help us with the classic tie-dye tshirt craft. Did it work? You’ll be surprised! Read to find out more…

A white tshirt, Pro Gaff® tape, and Rit fabric dye, all ready for our tie-dye tshirt project!
A white tshirt, Pro Gaff® tape, and Rit fabric dye, all ready for our tie-dye tshirt project!

This weekend, I wanted to see if I could create the classic tie-dye tshirt craft using Pro Gaff® tape. So I got my white tshirts, some Rit® fabric dye, and three different sizes of Pro Gaff® tape to put to the test: ¼ inch, 1 inch and 2 inch. 

Method #1: Classic Spiral Twist Tie-Dye

First, I tried your standard spiral dye and striping dye. Except here, I didn’t use any rubber bands – only Pro Gaff®!! For this method, pinch the center of your white shirt and twist it until you’ve reach the end, then tuck in the edges. Tightly wrap a few pieces of pre-ripped Pro Gaff® around your twisted tee. 

Method #2: Scrunch & Tape Dye

Fold your shirt (or just tightly scrunch it together), then tightly bind the shirt together using Pro Gaff®. Do this repeatedly down the length of the shirt. Just leave some space between each piece of tape.

For both Methods #1 and #2, I submerged the shirts in warm water for a little more than 30 minutes, occasionally stirring. Once lifted out of water, I did notice that the tapes which were only stuck to the t-shirt fabric lost their stick and fell right off. But the areas where the tape stuck to itself (adhesive to adhesive) proved to be the most successful! I think this helped create a seal against moisture and gave the Pro Gaff® extra strength. Funny thing is… the dye even dyed the tape!! 

Dropping the classic twist-dye shirt into the color wash...
Dropping the classic twist-dye shirt into the color wash…
And now the scrunch & tape dye shirt!
And now the scrunch & tape dye shirt!

Check out this video to see Methods #1 and #2 in Action:

Method #3: Masking Effect

The last technique I tried was a tape-mask effect. I hand ripped and cut the Pro Gaff® tape to write out the word “love” and a zig zag design. I also used tape to pinch up a few gathered areas around the bottom of the t-shirt. I tested this method out on both a canvas tote and a cotton tee shirt.

This time I did not submerge the fabrics in water, I used a squirt bottle instead. I found that it worked the best if I did not over-spray with the dye. It seems like too much dye starts to “un-stick” the adhesive.

If I were to do this method again, I would use a spray bottle instead of a squirt bottle. This way, you can have more control over the amount of dye that comes out. I believe this would be very successful as long as the fabric doesn’t absorb too much liquid too fast!

All the different methods we tried for dyeing with Pro Gaff® tape! Some of the methods were a little more successful than others...
All the different methods we tried for dyeing with Pro Gaff® tape! Some of the methods were a little more successful than others…

All in all, I think using Pro Gaff® for tie-dye was a success! You just have to use it the right way. And I think the shirts look awesome!! What are your thoughts? Comment below (and let us know if there’s another craft we should try to tape-ify!!)

A finished red tie-dye shirt, made with Pro Gaff tape
One of our finished tie-dye shirts! Isn't it beautiful?
One of our finished tie-dye shirts! Isn’t it beautiful?

10 KV Dry Type Transformer

10 Kv Dry Type Transformer,Energy Efficient 10 Kv Dry Type Transformer,Energy Saving 10Kv Dry Type Transformer,High Efficiency Special Dry Type Transformer

Tianhong Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.tianhongtransformer.com