Can You Ice Dye With Liquid Dye?

As I mentioned in my post about Ice Dyeing, this pattern is one of the most popular tie dye patterns in clothing today. It looks effortlessly cool and not potentially dated like some traditional tie dye techniques can look. So…back to the question, can you ice dye with liquid dye? Perhaps you finished another tie dyeing project and have some mixed up dye left OR you want to do some traditional tie dyeing as well as ice dyeing and don’t want to have to buy separate dyes just for each. Ok, before we can answer that question let’s discuss the basics: traditional tie dye versus ice dye.


Can You Use Liquid Dye To Ice Dye?

What is ice dyeing and why is it different than traditional tie dyeing?

Traditional tie dyeing starts with dye that is dissolved in water and then applied to the item. The item is tied up in a particular pattern prior to dyeing and the dye is applied in such a way that enhances the pattern. Ice dyeing, in contrast, uses dye in powder form along with ice to create a random pattern on the item. The ice is stacked on top of the item and the powder dye is sprinkled over the ice. When the ice melts, the dye gets dissolved and absorbed into the item.

For the complete how to guide to Ice Dyeing and what options you can do with it, check out: How To Ice Dye

What Happens To Liquid Dye When Applied To Ice?

When doing a typical ice dyeing project, the powder dye shaken on the ice sits in piles waiting for the melting to occur and activate the dye. Any colors that overlap will slowly be mixed together (as the melting process is slow). So, what happens with liquid dye to ice? I had to test it out for myself as I have only used powder before in projects.

Ice Dyeing With Liquid Dye

Here’s what I observed:

  1. The dye washed over the ice and directly down to my shirt.
  2. The 3 colors I used (light pink, fuchsia, and wine) started to blend immediately and because there was ice between me and the shirt, I couldn’t really control, or see, where each color was going.
  3. I “felt” that I had to use more dye to get saturation of color than I would if I used powder (and yes I put it in quotes because I don’t know if its true or not, but that’s what it felt like).
applying liquid dye to ice
Applying Liquid Dye To Ice

After about 4 hours of melting, it started to look similar to what typical ice dye projects look like, so that was a positive sign. The 3 colors did look pretty blended though, so we will see.

ice dye after 4 hours
Ice Dye After 4 Hours

Once the ice completely melted after about 6 hours, I sealed it in a plastic bag and moved it near a heater. Remember that the ice, and the melted water from it, is cold, so the curing process will take longer than normal.

After leaving it sit for about 28 hours to allow the ice to melt and shirt to warm up a bit, it was time to wash and dry and take a look.

shirt ice dyed with liquid dye
Shirt Ice Dyed With Liquid Dye

Does Liquid Dye Work In Ice Dyeing?

It can, if you adjust your expectations for the outcome. The colors are very blended (it was hard to create separate pockets of color, like you can with the powder). Because the dye is in liquid format and there is this barrier of ice between you and the item, you also cannot see what is being applied where to know when to stop or add more.

Personally, I think this looks a lot like crumple tie dye (see How To Crumple Tie Dye). If that is the look you are going for, you could just skip the ice and dye the shirt the traditional way. You will also have a lot more control on colors and blending.

Either way, it can create a neat looking project (my daughter has already stolen the shirt for a nightgown). Happy Tie Dyeing!

Similar Posts