How to ice dye

To ice dye, soak your shirt in soda ash, fold it tightly, cover it with a tall layer of ice, and sprinkle powdered dye over the top. As the ice melts, it carries the dye through the fabric and creates a flowing pattern,

Corky is using a metal spoon to sprinkle powdered Procion dye over the top of ice that is on a cotton T-shirt for ice

Folding for ice dye

A common way that people like to fold their T-shirt when ice dyeing is to just crumple it, to get organic watercolor results. I like to lay a piece of fabric called polyester fleece under my shirt before folding it in order to get smoother results with the dye flow.

This page was last updated on

Feb 6, 2026

About the author

Corky Lorenz is an independent publisher and photographer based in Elkhart, Indiana. She documents parks, restaurants, festivals, and everyday life across Indiana and the Midwest through original photography and practical visitor information.