Tie Dye T-Shirts Project

Project Summary:

This tie dye T-Shirts project requires some preparation set-up and it can be time consuming but children will absolutely love the excitement of creating their own tie-dye clothes!

Safety Notice

This project is only suitable for children whereby you have deemed the project safe, based on a child’s individual skill set and safety awareness, when working with dye-based products.

Project Details: Tie Dye T-Shirts Project

Amazon has a fantastic selection of tie-dye kits. Click on the links below to view details.

Latest Products: Tie-dye Kits

Step 1: Prepare the materials

You will need a tie dye kit for this project. You will also need to decide what you are going to tie-dye, this may be a selection of white t-shirts and you may wish to include other items such as shorts or leggings.

It is then necessary to set up a protected workspace, you may choose to complete the activity outdoors or create a location indoors whereby the work surfaces are protected from the risk of splashed dye.

Step 2: Prepare the dye bottles

Once you have the work surface prepared and the items laid out that you wish to dye, it’s time to prepare the individual bottles of coloured dye. It’s necessary to follow the exact instructions that came with the kit that you purchased. This step may involve filling each bottle which contains powdered dye with water and shaking it until the liquid dye has been established.

Step 3: Prepare the folding technique for each t-shirt

The design that results on each t-shirt will depend on the folding technique you used. The tie-dye kit you purchased will provide clear instructions for which folding technique to choose based on individual designs. For example to achieve the sunburst effect you will be required to swirl the t-shirt around and then use rubber bands to create multiple cross-segments.

Step 4: Add the dye to the garment

When the folding technique has been completed and all of the rubber bands are securely in place, the process of applying the dye can begin.

You can choose to add specific colours of dye to specific rubber band segments. Children may wish to come up with a pattern or a theme of colours for each specific t-shirt.

Always wear protective gloves during this process. To add the dye simply remove the lid from the dye bottle and gentle squirt the liquid dye out until the segment you wish to colour has been completely covered in dye. Repeat this process using different colours until all segments have been completed.

Step 5: Wrap the t-shirts in cling film

When an individual t-shirt has been completed, wrap the t-shirt in cling film. Repeat this process for all garments for which the tie-dying process has been completed and leave over-night.

Step 6: Wash out any excess dye

Once the dye has been absorbed within the cling film, the next step is to wash out any excess dye, followed by washing the t-shirts in a washing machine. Again it’s necessary to follow the exact instructions that came with the tie dye kit to ensure the best results for that dye.

When the t-shirts have been washed and dried it’s time to marvel at the wonderful and vibrant creations that have been achieved! These are garments that are truly unique and will be worn time and time again!