Tie-dye is a enjoyable and straightforward craft undertaking that anybody can do! The rainbow swirls of colour are literally easy to attain and children and adults like to tie-dye to get these enjoyable summer season camp vibes. You possibly can customise your look to make use of a rainbow of hues (or simply your favourite colours) and there are a number of simple methods that offer you completely different cool tie-dye seems to be to select from.
Simply observe this step-by-step newbie’s information or watch the straightforward tie-dye video under to make your personal tie-dye creation at dwelling!
Love tie dye? Then you may additionally wish to strive: Shibori Tie-Dye, Resist Dye Fundamentals, and The right way to Double Dip Dye (just like ombre).

Tie-Dye Fundamentals
The historical past of tie-dye dates again 1000’s of years, with proof of comparable methods present in varied cultures around the globe.
Nonetheless, the trendy type of tie-dye that’s mostly related to colourful patterns and designs on clothes emerged within the Nineteen Sixties in the course of the counterculture motion in the US.
The fundamental concept is you cowl areas of cloth by tying them off with rubber bands. Then, you dye the remainder of the material, probably in a number of colours. The tied-off areas don’t get colour, since they aren’t uncovered to the dye colour.
Tie-dye, like many tasks, is about experimenting and having fun with the method whereas additionally at instances being shocked by the outcomes. In order for you a superbly curated look, tie-dye is probably going not the most suitable choice, because it’s meant to look messy, colourful, and enjoyable!
Searching for extra nostalgic crafts? Take a look at The right way to Make Friendship Bracelets!

Tie-Dye Provides
- Dye: There are such a lot of dye colours you may select from and you may combine and match to make your personal customized colours. To make it simple, purchase a tie-dye package like this Tulip package that has your dye all able to go in prefilled bottles. Simply add water and shake!
- Rubber bands: You possibly can both use rubber bands you have got round the home or purchase a package that has them included.
- Gloves & drop material: These things shield your fingers and dealing floor from the dye so ensure that to make use of them. You need to use dish gloves or plastic gloves and any form of waterproof or plastic sheet will do. A tie-dye package will embody these as nicely.
- Clothes or objects to dye: White cotton is finest for tie-dye software though it’s also possible to dye different pure materials like rayon, silk, linen, or hemp.
- Ziplock Bag: You’ll desire a ziplock bag or some type of plastic grocery bag you may tie closed whereas your dye units in.
- Drip pan (non-compulsory): A plastic sheet is useful for safeguarding your work floor, however it’s additionally very useful to additionally use a drip pan beneath the merchandise being dyed (one thing like a dish pan or plant saucer will do).
TIP: Apart from shirts, you may tie-dye so many various clothes like sweatshirts, t-shirts, socks, bandanas, overalls, and extra!
Do I’ve to make use of a pre-made dye package for my tie-dye colours?
Whereas the all-in-one kits like these Tulip dye kits are tremendous useful to get all the pieces you want in a single place, it’s also possible to combine your personal colours in your tie-dye creation from dye focus added to water in your personal squirt bottles.
Begin with one tablespoon of liquid dye added to 1 cup heat water in a bottle and shake. Take a look at on a scrap piece of clothes to see if you wish to add extra dye for brighter colour or extra water for a extra delicate colour.

Tie-Dye Garment Preparation
Start by washing the clothes you propose to dye. If they’re belongings you already personal and have washed earlier than, you may skip this step. However something new ought to be washed to take away any residue from the making of the garment.

Tie-Dye Tip: For the most effective colour adhesion, soak your objects in soda ash blended into water for 20 minutes earlier than tie-dying. Whereas this step is non-compulsory, it should assist make the colours in your tie-dye creation the brightest they are often.

The right way to Tie-Dye


Prep your workspace: Put down your protecting material over your work floor and get your dye bottles prepared together with your chosen colours (these kits merely add water to the bottles and shake).
Dampen shirt: A barely moist shirt will unfold out the dye higher than a very dry shirt, so totally moist your merchandise after which wring it out totally so it’s simply damp.


Band and Dye shirt: Fold or swirl your shirt primarily based on the design you need (take a look at our sample choices under!), add your rubber bands to maintain in place, and add your dye.
Flip the shirt over and repeat on the opposite facet making an attempt to maintain the identical colours in related spots.
REMEMBER! The extra that a number of colours overlap, the larger likelihood you have got of getting muddied or brown colours in your tie-dye creation!
Attempt to maintain colours that don’t make a fairly colour collectively additional aside however have enjoyable bleeding colours that sit subsequent to one another on the colour chart.
(So two colours that sit subsequent to one another on the rainbow, like blue and purple, shall be fairly in the event that they bleed collectively, however two colours that don’t, like inexperienced and orange, will make a brown).


Seal for twenty-four hours: Whilst you can unveil your creation after about 6 hours, the most effective colours will come for those who place it in a ziplock bag (to maintain the dye from drying out) and depart it there for twenty-four hours.


Rinse and wash shirt: Take away your shirt from the bag, take off the bands, and rinse in a sink or tub with chilly water till the water runs clear (you’ll need gloves for this step as nicely). Wash in chilly water with a small quantity of detergent within the washer, and add an additional rinse cycle if that’s an choice in your washer (wash other than different laundry for the primary wash). Dry and put on proudly!

Tie-Dye Patterns
Whereas there are such a lot of choices with regards to tie-dye patterns, listed below are 4 traditional strategies to attain completely different cool tie-dye seems to be in your private creation.






Spiral Tie-Dye
This traditional tie-dye form is gorgeous and straightforward to attain!
Twist: Begin together with your shirt flat on the work floor. Pinch a small part within the heart of your garment or stick a picket dowel or cooking utensil finish into the center of the shirt. Twist the material round this level and maintain twisting till the entire garment turns into a spherical disc. It ought to seem like a cinnamon roll!
Safe: Safe the shirt with no less than 4 or 5 rubber bands, crisscrossing them over the middle of the disc. The tighter you bind the shirt, the extra white there shall be.
Dye and end! If you dye, add colour to completely different wedge sections on the disc (it’s also possible to do a distinct colour in every part created by the rubber bands). Repeat the colour on again, add to your plastic bag, wait, rinse and wash to unveil your creation!






Bullseye Tie-Dye
The Bullseye sample is a good choice for newbies.
Pinch: Pinch a piece of cloth in the course of the garment. Pull the material up the entire means off the ground, creating a material cone.
Safe: Wrap rubber bands across the cone of cloth, including a band at every spot the place you wish to change colours. You possibly can add as many or as few rubber bands as you need.
Dye and end! If you go to dye, add a distinct colour to every part between the rubber bands. Repeat the colour on again, add to your plastic bag, wait, rinse and wash to unveil your creation!






Stripes Tie-Dye
The Stripe sample is a enjoyable and straightforward solution to get a cool graphic look.
Fold: Lay the garment flat. Ranging from the left or backside facet, fold the shirt in a sequence of small accordion-style folds. Should you begin folding from the left facet you’ll create vertical strains, and for those who begin from the underside you’ll create horizontal strains.
Safe: Zig zag the accordion folded shirt right into a “Z” form with the folds going through up. Wrap the folded shirt with rubber bands to safe.
Dye and end! If you go to dye, add colour to every part (between rubber bands). Repeat the colour on again, add to your plastic bag, wait, rinse and wash to unveil your creation!






Scrunch Tie-Dye
This Scrunch tie-dye sample provides you an natural marbled look that’s one other classically cool tie-dye look.
Scrunch: Lay your garment flat. Pinch a sequence of small sections and pull them up a bit to create small mountain shapes.
Safe: Proceed till the entire shirt is scrunched into mini mountains and safe the entire shirt with overlapping rubber bands.
Dye and end! If you go to dye, add colour to completely different areas and take a look at your finest to duplicate the colour placement on the again of the banded shirt as nicely. Add dyed shirt to your plastic bag, wait, rinse and wash to unveil your creation!

Steadily Requested Questions
Ought to cloth be moist if you tie-dye?
It doesn’t need to be, however the dye will unfold and take extra simply if barely damp (it’s additionally a greater methodology to attain extra pastel colours). Dry cloth will normally lead to an general brighter colour and you may additionally find yourself with extra pure white areas since they dye doesn’t unfold as far.
How lengthy ought to tie-dye soak earlier than rinsing?
For traditional tie-dye, 4-6 hours is an efficient minimal, however you may enable the dye to set for nearer to 24 hours for extra intense colours.
What’s the finest cloth to tie-dye?
White or mild coloured 100% cotton is the preferred alternative for newbie tie-dye software though it’s also possible to dye different pure materials like rayon, silk, linen, or hemp.
Polyester and cotton mix shirts gained’t maintain the colour almost as nicely, so discover an choice that doesn’t embody polyester.
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Get the How-To
Step-by-step directions for the most effective provides and traditional tie dye patterns for newbies.
Directions
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Start by washing the clothes you propose to dye in the event that they’ve by no means been washed.*
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Combine your dyes in line with the package deal directions.
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Cowl your space with a drop material to guard it from any dye spills and put on disposable gloves as you’re employed to guard your fingers.
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Scrunch up or fold your merchandise as desired in your sample after which add rubber bands to safe.
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Add dye to the ready cloth in your chosen colour sample till the highest is saturated. Flip over and repeat on the opposite facet.
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Add your dyed cloth to a sealed off plastic bag (or twist a plastic grocery bag closed) and let it sit for 6-24 hours. The longer the higher for colour saturation.
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Take away from bag and rinse your garment within the bathtub or kitchen sink till the water runs clear (put on gloves once more for this step).
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Wash the tie-dye merchandise (or objects) within the washer on chilly individually from different laundry and dry or as you usually would.
Notes
- If the clothes you’re dyeing are belongings you already personal and have washed earlier than, you may skip washing them.
- A plastic sheet is useful for safeguarding your work floor, however it’s additionally very useful to additionally use a drip pan beneath the merchandise being dyed (one thing like a dish pan or plant saucer will do).
- You can even add an additional rinse cycle to your washer when washing the garments for the primary time for those who machine has that setting to verify any further dye is rinsed out.
*Non-obligatory however you may soak in soda ash if you need for 20 minutes for higher colour adhesion.