How to make a Dyed Fringed T-Shirt Scarf

These are recycled t-shirt scarves made from old white t-shirts that belonged to my husband. 

I have a whole bunch of his old t-shirts and I was dying (no pun intended) to try this. 

First the dye...

I used 2 colors Rit Wine* and Royal Blue for this project.

I have to admit I thought dying fabric was going to be very messy but it wasn't too bad. 

First I gathered a couple of very large pots...

I filled them with hot water, the dye packet and 1/2 cup of salt.

I submerged the t-shirts and while I was at it, I threw in a couple of white shirts that might look nice in Wine or Royal Blue.

I held down the fabrics with kitchen utensils so all the fabric was under the water.

I rinsed the shirts with cold water then put them in the washing machine and ran them through a full cycle, then into the dryer.

I cut the across the t-shirt from under the arm straight across to the under the other arm. I then cut off the hem on the bottom so I had a large circular tube. (the body of the shirt) 

I cut slits in my t-shirts about every inch from bottom to top. I cut from the bottom of the shirt, then I pulled the slit to about 3-4" from the edge of top. The t-shirt material stretches a lot so it gets large. 

And here are my new fringe scarves.

The gray and the black were from gray and black t-shirts, it couldn't be easier and no dye involved. 

The stringy scarves (on the right below) are made by cutting strips of the t-shirt across the chest of the shirt once the arms and hem are removed (from left to right this time). Cut 1-2" strips all the way down the shirt keeping them in a circle. Stretch the circles so they are all the same size then wrap on 2 sides with another strip of t-shirt fabric. 

The Royal Blue came out more like a dusty blue but the 

longer you leave the shirt in the dye, the darker it becomes.

*Now just a couple of warnings... 

Make sure your pot doesn't leak onto your counter top because when you use bleach to clean the dye off the counter top you will probably splash bleach onto the white shirt you are wearing that you just dyed Wine colored because it had dark spots and now has white spots on it instead.

Ever read the Cat in the Hat with the big pink spot?

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