Making the Circles

• 1). Lay the shirt flat on the work surface.
  
  
• 2). Pinch the shirt where you want the center of the circle to be.
  
  
• 3). Lift the shirt by the pinched fabric, and with your other hand, arrange the fabric of the shirt in neat folds like the fabric of a closed umbrella.
  
  
• 4). Slide a rubber band over the tip of the fabric cone and secure the base of the cone. Where you choose to secure the rubber band determines the size of your circle.
  
  
• 5). Add additional rubber bands or wrap with string to create additional circles. This step is optional. For example, if you make a 5-inch fabric cone and secure it once at the base you will have one very large circle. If you secure additional rubber bands every inch toward the tip of the cone, you will end up with four or five circles radiating outward from the center.
  
  
• 6). Repeat process to create as many circles as you want.
  
  

Dying the Shirt

• 1). Wash the shirt before wrapping it to create designs. This will remove any sizing or manufacturer's treatments and allow the dye to penetrate the fabric evenly.
  
  
• 2). Soak the T-shirt for 15 minutes in a soda-ash solution.To make the solution, mix 1 cup of sodium carbonate for every 1 gallon of water in a bucket. This solution prepares the fabric to accept the dye.
  
  
• 3). Wring out the T-shirt and apply the designs.
  
  
• 4). Prepare the dye according to package directions. Pour the dye into a spray or squeeze bottle, using a funnel. With bottled dye, you can add several different colors to the same T-shirt.
  
  
• 5). Prepare you work area. Spread out several trash bags and secure them together with masking tape. Add a layer of scrap cardboard, newspapers or paper towels. These will soak up any dye splatters.
  
  
• 6). Add the dye to your T-shirt. Dye the area between rubber bands different colors to create circles with multicolored rings.
  
  
• 7). Place the T-shirt in a plastic bag and allow the shirt to cure for 8 to 24 hours. The longer the T-shirt cures, the more vibrant the colors become.
  
  
• 8). Rinse the T-shirt in cold water while still wrapped. Then, rinse the T-shirt under warm running water as you remove the string or rubber bands. Continue rinsing until the water runs clear.
  
  
• 9). Wash the T-shirt in using hot water and a dye-friendly detergent like Synthrapol. Do not wash more that eight T-shirts in one load to avoid muddying the water and the colors of your T-shirts.