How do you tie dye sweatpants?

The key is to buy 100% cotton sweatpants. Don't try to dye 50% cotton/50% polyester, because polyester will not take any dye that works on cotton, so you'll only get pale colors. If you can't find 100% cotton sweatpants, order some from Dharma Trading Company. (You can order from them without a credit card, if you prefer.) Sweatpants that are at least 90% cotton, with 5% to 10% spandex, will dye well, also. 80% cotton/20% spandex will dye to a somewhat less intense color.

Buy a good fiber reactive dye. Any good tie-dye kit will work well. Go to a crafts store and look for a tie-dye kit made by Dylon, Jacquard, Rainbow Rock, or Tulip. Avoid the Rit tie-dye kit because all-purpose dyes, such as Rit or Tintex, contain dyes fade quickly and bleed in the laundry forever, ruining your other clothes. You can't buy good dye at the grocery store. If you order your sweatpants from Dharma, order a tie-dye kit or Procion MX dyes from them, as well, or from any of the other dye companies listed on my page of "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World". They will have your choice of a hundred different colors, and their dye prices are excellent per garment dyed, considerably less than the cost of Rit dye for the same amount of fabric.

If you buy a good tie-dye kit, the instructions are included. All you have to do is follow the directions. Soak the sweatpants in the soda ash in the kit, wring them out, and squirt on the dye, then wait until the next day to wash the excess unattached dye out with first cold and then hot water. Good dyes will last for years without fading.

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[Portions of this answer were first posted, by me, on Yahoo answers, on September 28, 2008.]