DIY: Dip-dyed Kool-Aid Man T-Shirt

Last week, a co-worker of mine and I were discussing ideas for Halloween costumes and she mentioned that she thought it would be fun to be the Kool-Aid Man. Well, my mind started running with it and I came up with this fun little project.

The idea was to make a shirt that looked like the jug of the Kool-Aid Man -- including that little bit of white left at the top of the jug where all the ice is. I found a tutorial for a dip-dyed t-shirt on the Wit & Whistle blog, and grabbed a dye packet at Michaels along with a fabric pen and some black fabric paint -- I've got a few more ideas swimmin' around.

I used:

Tulip Dye Packet
Marvy Uchida Fabric Marker
100% Cotton T-Shirt

I followed the instructions on the back of the package of dye, and then, after painfully waiting for the shirt to dry, I set to work making a template for the face of the Kool-Aid Man. I cut it out using an exact-o-knife and a pair of scissors, and then coloured it in on the t-shirt with fabric marker. Make sure that you put a piece of cardboard between the layers of the t-shirt or it will bleed through to the back of the shirt as well.

I decided to off-set the face and put it in a place that would be a little more subtle. It took about 30 minutes for the marker to dry completely. I look forward to using the fabric marker in more projects.

I just had to share this photo. It's a classic case of Monkey See, Monkey Do. He was a fantastic little assistant :)

And there you have the final product. Make sure that you are using a 100% cotton shirt. It takes the colour of the dye much better. I am pleased with how easy working with dye actually is, and plan on doing more projects with it.

I also decided to show you a possible way to style it.


Have a fantastic weekend!