Every Parent Should Know the Do’s and Don’ts of Tie Dyeing.
When my daughter decided she wanted to give her brother a homemade tie-dye shirt for his birthday, my first thought was Cool! What could be better than a handmade gift? My subsequent thoughts included: But how the hell do you do tie-dye? How much time do we need? This sounds dirty.
I’m happy to report that it’s not as messy or time consuming as I feared, but there are a few things I’d like to know that would save me the hassle of googling at the last minute.
What to do: buy a kit
I don’t know why I thought tie dyeing involved spinning clothes in large baths of paint for an extended period of time, but luckily it doesn’t have to. (Unless you’re into that sort of thing.) For those of you short on time, there are plenty of one-step kits to buy that contain a handful of powdered paint in plastic bottles (which you only need to add water to), gloves, rubber bands, extra bags with paint and instructions. Do yourself a favor and get one .
What to do: choose the right fabric
Tie-dye works best on natural fabrics such as cotton, rayon, hemp, linen, silk, and wool. According to Crafty Chica , it won’t work with polyester, lycra, or spandex. Lightweight cotton is best for your first foray.
What to do: Wear gloves (and an apron)
Again, I don’t know why I thought that (because all the children’s markers and paints have become super washable, I think), but I thought I could help my daughter without gloves. I mean, I could and did , but my cuticles are purple and my index finger is turquoise. Tai-dai got some paint , guys. It colors. Put on gloves. And while you’re at it, take off those white sneakers, roll up your sleeves, and put on a robe or apron. Because these drops can fly.
What to do: Cover your work surface (or just go outside)
Liquid dye bottles can ruin your pants, shoes, counters, and floors. Being impatient (and because we only had an hour), I rushed the project by not properly furnishing my space. If inside, carefully cover surfaces with a plastic tablecloth or trash bags; Lay paper towels on top of the plastic to keep the paint from flaking off.
If you work outside (which I recommend), you still need to bring a plastic bag with you so you can roll up your wet, freshly dyed clothes in it or lay them flat to dry. Make sure you have plastic bags with you so you don’t have to walk around the house in a wet T-shirt. Do this color magic on the grass if you can; all accidental drops will disappear into the ground, leaving very little cleanup.
What to do: Watch a tutorial video on how to wrap clothes.
There are many different patterns for ties and folding methods, each of which will produce different patterns on the finished product. Before you get started, check out the various designs ( including squiggles, swirls, bullseye, hearts, rainbows, and stripes, etc.) and see how someone else does it .
What to do: Use dry clothes with care
The instructions for my kit did not mention the use of a wet shirt; however, the tutorial video I watched on YouTube did advocate dampness. I’ve tried both methods, and while a damp shirt absorbs the dye more easily, a dry shirt will have red blobs rolling right off the edge of the fabric onto the ground. Many sites suggest pre-washing your clothes to “downsize” and improve dye absorption. Prewash and spin will provide the right amount of moisture; or you can run it under the faucet and squeeze out all the excess water.
(Warning: while a dry shirt doesn’t soak up paint as quickly, it keeps the lines sharper than wet clothes , which will cause the colors to bleed a little more.)
Don’t: Mix too much dye, or hold on to liquid residue.
The dye loses its effectiveness after about 48-72 hours. Activate (mix with water) only the colors and amount of dye that you plan to use in one session. Throw away leftovers when you’re done to avoid unwanted spills inside your home; in any case, after three days it will not become powerful.
What to do: Apply light colors first (and run them over the creases)
Whether you choose to use elastic bands or zip ties to create your design, you should expect some amount of color to bleed through between the sections. For this reason, apply light tones first and let them leave their mark. Once the dark red or blue penetrates the fabric, the yellows of the world cannot leave their mark.
If you’re not okay with white spots (which can look pretty cool), go through the garment piece by piece after the first application and open up any creases to make sure the dye has penetrated into hidden areas of the fabric. .
What to do: Wrap wet dyed clothes in plastic.
Once the color has soaked into the garment, it’s time to wrap it in a plastic bag to allow the colors to dry while still being damp and warm. The heat helps the dye to set. Many sites say to use Ziploc; I rolled our T-shirts into an old Target bag.
Do not: wash off the paint too soon
While my kit instructions said that the colors should cure within 6-8 hours, most sources in my additional research said that the colors should cure for at least 8 hours, and ideally up to 24 hours. This is a good rule of thumb though. To follow your kit’s instructions, I left mine in for about twice the suggested time and they were fine – hopefully better because I had a few extra hours to soak the paint.
Don’t: worry when rinsing a dyed shirt
It’s time to put on your gloves again, cut off the elastic bands and rinse your clothes in warm water. Do not be alarmed if a lot of paint is washed off during the first rinse. It is not possible for all the dye to adhere to the garment, but in 8-24 hours enough dye will soak into the fibers to meet expectations. Rinse until the water runs clear.
What to do: Wash in cold water (by itself)
At least on the first wash, if not the first two or three washes, freshly dyed clothes should be washed separately with a small amount of detergent in cold water. Dry on low heat or line dry and be proud of the fun design you created from scratch.