How to Host a Tie-Dye Party

Try your hand at a unique party gathering. Hosting a tie-dye party is a groovy way to get your friends or family together and experiment in the craft of tie dying. Tie-dying is a fun way to jazz up wearables like t-shirts, socks or even children and infant clothes. Also try home accessories like sheets, pillowcases or curtains. Experiment!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Party invites

1. Carry over your theme by creating a funky and creative invitation. If you are a creative cat skilled in graphic design; try creating a unique post card, email or card with a hip tie-dye look. If you are artsy, try sketching an invitation.
2. In your invite, include the date, time and location. Let your guests know to wear their "paint" clothes for tie-dying fun.
3. Send invites approximately 1 week before the party.

How to Tie-Dye

4. Take your fabric or project and wrap, twist or roll into the desired pattern.
5. Tie rubber bands in places to hold the fabric, make pattern or separate colors. Where and how the rubber bands are tied, leave white.
6. Tie and dye! After tying your project with rubber bands, apply the dye to "un-tied" areas.
7. Wrap in a plastic grocery bag and set aside to dry after you are done dying your areas.
8. Take it out of the plastic bag and rinse off excess dye while it is still tied up. Make sure dye is dry.
9. Untie your project and run under warm water. Wash out until the water is clear.
10. For first washing, wash alone!

Tips & Warnings

• Lay out all tarps to ensure a clean and safe experience in dying.
• Folding and tying in vertical pleats result in horizontal stripes.
• Organize and set up supplies for guests. If you have a large group, lay out supplies in groupings so that smaller groups of people can share.
• Folding and tying in horizontal pleats result in vertical stripes.
• Gathering, pulling fabric and tying result in circles.
• Try a variety of colors for a colorful creation. There are a variety of dyes available in powder or liquid. Purchase the dye that is appropriate for the level of experience you and your guests have. Read instructions on your dyes before the purchase and especially before the party.
• Keep your project wet and chemically active. Store it in a plastic grocery bag and let sit for at least 4 hours; however, 24 hours is preferable to "cure" properly.

Who Can Help:

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