How To Tie-Dye a Harley Quinn-Inspired Shirt

It seems that Suicide Squad can’t stay out of the limelight. The first movie and its accompanying Birds of Prey did well at the box office. Now, there’s an anime series to look forward to. Harley Quinn is the star of Suicide Squad in many respects, which means fans everywhere want to buy or create her merch. One way you can create your own Harley Quinn-inspired merchandise is with tie-dye. Tie-dye perfectly fits her whirlwind personality and is easy to do on your own. Keep reading to learn how to tie-dye a Harley Quinn-inspired shirt.

Gather Your Supplies

You will need a few supplies for tie-dye, including the following:

• Shirt made from natural fibers
• Rubber bands
• Custom dye
• Paintbrush
• Gloves
• Plastic bag big enough to fit the shirt
• Optional: surface protection

Depending on where you’re planning to dye your shirt, you may need to lay a protective layer of plastic, paper, or cloth down. Many people choose to lay a blanket outside on the grass and do their project there.Shirts or other items made from natural fibers absorb dye better than synthetic fibers. You can use a dry shirt for neater design lines or a damp shirt for better color diffusion and blending.You can use mica powder to tie-dye fabric with a custom dye. Simply mix mica powder with a binder of your choice, such as acrylic powder or soft fabric gel, to make your own Harley Quinn dye.

Pick a Folding Pattern

Once you’re ready with all your supplies, you can fold your shirt and bind it with rubber bands. There are many folding design options to choose from. People will recognize the classic Harley Quinn red and black no matter what the folding design is.Many people choose the classic tie-dye spiral to match Harley Quinn’s personality. To achieve this pattern, lay your shirt down flat. Pinch it in the middle and twist it until the entire shirt is a spiral. Use rubber bands to hold the spiral in place.

Apply Your Dye

You can apply your dye when you’ve finished creating sections on your shirt. Apply one color, such as red, to every other section. Apply another color, such as black, to the sections you left blank. Don’t put the same color in bordering sections, as this can change the tie-dye effect.Your custom mica powder dye will act more like paint than a liquid dye. Use a paintbrush to apply this paint dye to the sections of your shirt. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands from the dye.

Set, Rinse, and Wash Your Shirt

After applying your dye, place your folded shirt in a plastic bag and allow it to sit overnight to fully absorb the dye. The next day, remove the rubber bands and rinse the shirt with cool water. After rinsing, wash it in a washing machine on the gentlest cycle with mild laundry detergent. Air-dry your shirt before wearing it. Now you know how to tie-dye a Harley Quinn-inspired shirt. You can apply this method to other fabrics, not just shirts, and use different colors for different characters. There’s almost no limit to what you can do with tie-dye and your imagination.