How to Make Homemade Tie-Dye

Making tie-dye T-shirts is a fun and exciting craft that can turn ordinary white T-shirts into works of art. To successfully create tie-dyed shirts, it is important to follow certain steps that will ensure that the dye will not bleed into the cloth and that the dye will adhere to the T-shirt. Here is a guide to help you create tie-dye T-shirts with your children.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 100 percent cotton or hemp T-shirts
• 1 container of RIT dye
• Rubber gloves
• Large stock pot
• Large spoon
• Rubber bands

1. 
    

   Tie up your T-shirt. Twist sections of the T-shirt in your hands until the twist becomes very tight. Holding it firmly in your hands, wind a rubber band around the twist until it is tightly wrapped. This is a great step for the children to do on their own. T-shirts can be twisted as many times as you wish.

2. 
    

   Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from staining. Combine one container of RIT dye into a stock pot with 2 to 3 gallons of water. Heat the water until it is very hot but not boiling. Submerge the T-shirt into the dye bath. Stir constantly with a large spoon for 5 to 8 minutes.

3. 
    

   Remove the T-shirt from the dye bath and rinse it in hot water. Continue rinsing the shirt using cooler and cooler water. Do not remove the rubber bands until the water runs clear. Rinse with cold water and remove the rubber bands, revealing the beautiful tie-dye creation you have made.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep children away from the hot dye bath.

Resources

• RIT Tie-Dying