Crafts: Sharpie Tie Dye is a great craft to do with kids it is a low mess way of doing a tied dye.  You make the tie dyed patterns  using sharpies and alcohol.   We made these shirts while teaching  the  bible story of Zacchaeus.  The children ages ranged from 4-17 made the Sharpie tie dye zacchaeus crafts.  This simple easy tie dye was a huge hit with the kids.  The tree takes about an hour some kids took less time.

Sharpie tie dye  :  zacchaeus crafts

This craft was adapted from ArtGirlJackie

Tools :

• Sharpies 16 pack  with bright colors and florescent (removed the dark colors Browns, blacks, drk purples, navys)
• Tee Shirt white
• Large Plastic Cups(solo cups)
• Rubber Bands
• 91% Alcohol (the 70% does not bleed correctly- I found at Rite Aid)
• Small cup
• Eye Dropper
• Blow Dryer
• cardboard to fit inside the shirt

1. Choose a well ventilated area or near an open window
2. cut the cardboard inside the shirt to protect the back side of the shirt
3. Place the solo cup under the upper part of the shirt  open end of the cup up
4. Place the rubber band over the shirt around the mouth of the cup
5. Using the sharpie draw shapes on the tee, (only allow the lighter colors to be used   hide the dark colors for the trunk till later)
6. Try not to use complementary colors next to each other because they will turn muddy (blue:orange, Green:Red , Yellow:purple)
7. Using 91% alcohol and eye dropper, drop alcohol on the sharpie.. and watch it bleed
8. Place another cup with a  the rubber band and move cup to another area of the shirt.  Repeat the  sharpie tie dyes.. it dyes quickly minutes,  Just remove the rubber band when  the area is damp.
9. Repeat over and over,  and you can overlap until you finish the canopy of the tree..
10. Use the blow dyer if needed, to dry the upper part of the shirt

How to make the Sharpie Tie Dye Tree Trunk:

1. Draw the trunk
2. Make sure cardboard in between the shirt. Use the black sparingly because it does take over the tee.
3. I recommend using alot  of goldish color in with the brown to give the bark effect,  and leave white space.
4. Starting from the center of the tree, drag the 91% of alcohol down the center of the trunk .. add more slowly,
5. As the alcohol spreads using the blow dryer stop the bleed at the edge of the trunk.   Caution it spreads quickly.

Watch this video:

This was such a fun craft  for the kids to make as a bible story crafts  for story of Zacchaeus,  the children wore the shirts as they preformed a play.  The possibilities are endless with sharpies and alcohol .  I love this idea be sure to watch for more Sharpie crafts.

Have fun creating your own sharpie tie dyed tee!