Tye Dyeing With Rit Dye

Tie dye garments with Rit dye.

America's love of funky, tie-dyed T-shirts began during the 1950s and 1960s. People of all ages and across the country could be seen donning a homemade tie-dyed creation. Many of these T-shirts were created with the help of Rit dye, which is a well-known all-purpose fabric dye. Today, crafty trend setters are using Rit dye to tie dye tablecloths, pants, baby clothes and hand towels. There are several color choices in the Rit dye spectrum that will allow you to dream up one-of-a-kind creations in your own home.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• 2 to 4 packages Rit dye
• Very hot water
• 2 to 4 plastic buckets
• Garment or piece to be tie dyed
• Rubber bands
• Cool water
• Washing machine
• Mild detergent

Instructions

1. Choose the colors. The most effective tie-dye projects use two to four colors. Any more can make the piece appear overworked.

2. Wearing rubber gloves, mix the first color. If using powdered Rit dye, place one package of the color into 2 to 3 gallons of very hot, but not boiling, water in a bucket. For liquid Rit dye, place 1/2 cup of the dye into 2 to 3 gallons of very hot water. The hotter the water, the more intense the color. Use more dye if you wish to achieve a darker color.

3. Mix the other desired colors in the same fashion. Use large plastic buckets that you don't mind tossing in the trash after the tie-dye experience is over. The Rit dye will make the buckets unusable for any other project.

4. Tie the garment or item into different sections with rubber bands. The separate sections created with the rubber bands will each be placed in a different color.

5. Dip the first section into the desired color. Using the lightest color first generally helps the colors blend more effectively. Allow the section to remain in the dye bath for five to seven minutes, or longer to achieve a darker tint.

6. Remove the first section and rinse it thoroughly with cool water.

7. Repeat this process on the remaining sections of the garment or piece, rinsing between each color used.

8. Rinse the entire piece with cool water until the water runs clear.

9. Remove all of the rubber bands and place the piece into the washing machine on the warm water cycle with 1 cupful of mild laundry detergent. Mild detergent does not contain any dyes or perfumes.

10. Rinse the garment or piece once again in cool water. Wring out the piece to remove the excess liquid and hang up the piece to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different rubber band placements and color combinations to make one-of-a-kind tie-dyed pieces.

• Add 1 cup white vinegar to each dye bath if you are dyeing pieces manufactured from wool or nylon.

References

• Paula Burch: How Can I Tie Dye With Rit Dye?
• Rit: Basic Instructions and Supplies