There has of course been no lack of videos demonstrating the making of DIY ombré apparels and honestly speaking, I've been inspired by these DIY videos to create my own DIY ombré apparel as well - but with a tinge of boldness - Ombré dyed - Fringe top!!! (One being made from a normal t-shirt at that!)
Fringe tops have also been one of my personal favourites lately - in my opinion they make an outfit look very... Cowgirl-ish? The look lies on the fine line between masculine and girly, therefore balancing out both feels, giving the wearer a very refreshing appeal. And if there's anything chicer than a normal fringe top, it has to be an ombré dyed-fringe top!!
Here's how my sunflower ombré dyed-fringe top looks like!
Front
Back
Like what you see? Then let's get started!!!
Basic materials that you'd be needing:1. A plain white T-shirt2. A good, sharp pair of scissors that is able to cut nicely through fabric3. Fabric dyes of your favourite colours! (I'm using the brand Dylon from HomeFix)Optional materials:- Beads (For the fringes, which will be further elaborated later)
It is advisable to use at most three colours for the fabric dyes, especially if you're not going for the gradient effect. Too many colours at a go will make the outfit look too flamboyant. Furthermore, even with gradient effect the recommended maximum number of layers would be three too; it's more appealing and easy on the eye. Three makes the world go round!
Following the pink dotted lines (as I have kindly highlighted), trim along the hems of the sleeves and collars. It need not be a perfect trim, this is just to get the basic shape of the tank top.
If you already have a ready made tank top, then skip the following 3 steps.
You should end up as per the picture above. It now looks like some army tank top! This would now be your workpad where you can start designing on the cuts and shape of your desired tank top.
Like a deeper neckline? Cut deeper! Like a V-shape neckline? Trim out a curved "V" using the original neckline as a guide! Want a more baggy hole for your arm (To achieve the casual-chic look)? Cut a bigger sleeve hole then! It is all entirely up to you to design your tank top to your preference, just do make sure to attempt small trims at a time so that you can try your tank top on and make further adjustments, rather than plunging in a bold cut which might result in regrets later on. You wouldn't want that!!
After trimming your tank top, proceed on to trim the fringes! Cut off the hem at the bottom of the top first before cutting the fringes.
I decided on the height of the fringes that I wanted when I tried my tank top on and just went ahead to cut them, as per the indication that I made on the fabric. If you want to show more skin, cut longer strips!
For me, I estimated the thickness of each fringe and dived right ahead to cutting them. If you're a perfectionist, you may want to measure out the length of the hem of the shirt so as to get fringes of equal thickness.
An important point to note: Do not cut the fringes too thickly/thinly! Too thick would result in
the fringes unable to thread through the beads (if you're using them) and too thinly cut fringes are fragile and the whole process would be very tedious. Aim for fringes of medium thickness, around 1.5-2 cm per fringe.
Tadah! This should be your end product after cutting fringes along the width of your tank top! Looks pretty good here already!
Moving on to the dyeing part *excited*... Prepare your dyes in different pails - each colour per pail. (Common sense guys!) Follow strictly to the instructions of your fabric dye brand - each brand has their own set of instructions.
Set up your dyeing spot at a spacious corner and lay the floor with newspapers! You won't want to make a huge mess out of your house and regret having to undergo massive cleaning up!
Do note that this dyeing process is a non-reversible one, so be extra careful in your actions!!
Dip the top vertically downwards into the first dye colour. Dip it to slightly below the desired height, and leave it soaking in the dye for approximately 10-15 minutes.
Good things always come after a wait! For thicker tops the dye will obviously take a longer time to seep up so just let it work its magic!
I only used two dyes (red and yellow) because I'd get orange when mixing them together, so there's no need to get a orange dye! Smart money-saving (cheapskate) method! ^.^
This is what I mean when I said rest the top at the edge of the pails. The top is bound to come into contact with the insides of the pails so do make sure you clean it well before dipping your precious top into the dye!!
This is when you prepare another bucket of clean water to soak the dyed top in so as to remove any excess dye and fix the dye colour on your top.
While waiting.... Always keep a sharp lookout for the height of the dye as it seeps up your top, especially if your top is of relatively thin material!
First colour - Success!!!
Now soak the dyed part in clean water for approximately 10-15 minutes too to remove the extra dye. Remember, only the dyed part!!
Repeat the dyeing process for the rest of the colours...
And you should get something like the top shown above!! (Sorry for the blur picture, only realised it's blur when editing the lighting :/ )
[Optional]: Stringing beads through the fringes!
If you're not a big fan of bright colours (Why aren't you???) you can always use those wooden beads in shades of brown. It is entirely up to you - I chose beads in multiple colours because I wanted to add a splash of colour to the ombré design. Just remember to purchase beads with a hole big enough for fabric to pass through!
String these beads into the fabric (see this is when thick fringes become a problem) and tie a knot at the end. If you're not using beads, simply tie a knot at the end of each fringe.
After stringing all the beads through the fringes, you should get as per the picture above. To get more length from the fringes, pull them gently when stringing the beads through.
I took another shot because it's so happy-looking with bright colours!!!
And that's it! Ombré dyed-Fringe top, Mission Accomplished!
I really love the ombré effect. Though the red didn't really show up that well on my top. But the gradient effect (imho) was quite successful!
My top has some red dye smudges on it, but thankfully they're not obvious and could pass off as purposely made blotches. *phew* But always, always, always (I told you three makes the world go round!) be very careful when dyeing!! Have a firm grip on your top and don't let it slip from your grasp!!!
I'm really happy with my end product. This must be the largest scale DIY that I've ever done and I had a whole lot of fun!!! Thinking of trying blue, green and purple next time round with splashes of bleach on that background to create a cosmic/galaxy effect! Anyone game for it? ;)
Have fun playing embarking on your ombré-fringe journey!
Looking forward to my next DIY entry! Xoxo
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P.S/ I did the dyeing at Tealle's house :)
P.S// She was being a real sweetheart by helping me take pictures for this entry, whilst participating in the DIY with me!
P.S/// My ombré-fringe top really looks like a sunflower!!