• Tie-dye shirt projects make fun summer camp or group activities for teens.Clothes Line image by KateC from Fotolia.com
  
  The world's colorful love affair with tie-dye shirts began during China's T'ang Dynasty. Since then, a wide variety of tie-dye styles and techniques have turned the process of tie-dying into an art form that expresses individuality and style. From simple spiral patterns to more complicated symbols such as the peace sign, tie-dye shirts come in an endless array of colors and styles that make an artistic statement in any wardrobe.
  
  

Spiral Pattern Tie-Dye Shirt

• Bold tie-dye colors yield more defined patterns.tie-dyed shirts image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
  
  The spiral pattern is the most basic of the tie-dye techniques, making it an excellent choice for beginners. The spiral is achieved through placing a cotton shirt on a flat surface and twisting it from the center into a ball. The twisting mimics a dialing motion in the same direction until the entire shirt is twisted into a tight circular shape. The shirt is then secured with two rubber bands that cross in the center (like a tied package). From there, the shirt is ready to be dyed with the outcome of a bold spiral shape that encompasses the entire shirt on the front and back.
  
  

Concentric Circle Tie-Dye Shirt

• Concentric circles can be multiplied depending on how many rubber bands are used.tie dyed green image by Steve Mann from Fotolia.com
  
  Creating concentric circles is another simple tie-dye pattern achieved through winding rubber bands at various intervals from the center of a cotton shirt. The technique begins with the shirt on a flat surface. From the center, a small pinch of fabric is secured with a rubber band. Securing the remaining length of the shirt can be done at smaller intervals to create many circles that gradually get larger, or the shirt can be bound at large intervals to create only a few wide circles.
  
  

Marble Pattern Tie-Dye Shirt

• Using different sized marbles creates more interest in the outcome of the tie-dye pattern.marbles 1 image by Eric E from Fotolia.com
  
  Marble pattern tie-dye shirts require tight twisting and marbles to achieve small star burst patterns. The process begins with a cotton shirt on a flat surface. Small random portions of the shirt are wrapped around a marble and tightly secured with a rubber band. Coins can also be used in place of marbles. The tighter the wrap, the more defined the pattern. Loose wraps result in blurred patterns that don't accurately represent the traditional tie-dyed appearance.
  
  

The Peace Sign Tie-Dye Shirt

• The classic peace sign tie-dye shirt is one of the more challenging styles to create. The technique begins with a peace sign drawn in washable ink on a white cotton shirt. The shirt is folded into small pleats at the bottom of the peace sign and the inner legs of the peace sign. The strategically placed folds resemble a closed umbrella and allow for different colors to form the outcome of the pattern. At How to Tie Dye, artists recommend carefully following a video tutorial detailing each step to successfully creating the peace sign tie-dye pattern.