Get Crafty | how to natural tie-dye with your teen
Happy June, friends!
The start of summer hasn't quite been what we expected or hoped, and if you are like me, you are wondering what happened to spring? Like really, did spring even happen?
But nevertheless, summer has arrived in full force (I am sitting in my upper level apartment with all the windows open, trying not to sweat as I type this), BUT we are ready for it - bring on the sunshine, no more school (or attempting to homeschool in quarantine), and lots and lots of downtime for the kids!
EEEEKK. Lots and lots of downtime sounds scary. I don’t even have kids of my own yet and I feel like keeping kids occupied all summer would be challenging. In our attempt to help alleviate those summer woes, we wanted to show you an easy and cheap DIY project that you can do together, for like at least a whole hour (hey, it’s a start).
Look how cute this sweatshirt from Knapp leader Kaitlin Scott turned out?! Let’s get started!
Materials You Will Need:
Salt
Saucepan(s)
Tongs or Gloves (will stain hands)
Water
White Vinegar
Rubber Bands
1-2 mixed natural dyes (see more recipes here and here!)
A light cotton or linen fabric (i.e. a shirt, shorts, headband, tea towel, etc.)
Prep the Fabric | This helps your fabric retain the dye better. To have great tie-dye, you don’t want to skip this step!
Put 4 cups of water and 1 cup of salt in a saucepan, bring it to a boil.
Add your fabric and make sure it’s completely covered by the water! (Add more of the salt/water ratio if needed)
Boil it for 5-10 minutes, then lower to a simmer for an hour. This will help it retain its color. (while you are letting it simmer, create your dye - directions in step 2)
After an hour, remove it from the heat and rinse with cold water for a few minutes. Be careful, the fabric will be hot; use tongs or gloves!
Squeeze the extra water from the fabric You want the fabric still damp!
Create the Dye | There a lots of fun options you can use for natural dyes—from spices to fruits and veggies—you probably have what you need in your pantry or fridge! Let them cool for a bit before dipping your item in it. Below are some color options you can try:
Gold: In a saucepan, place 8 teaspoons of turmeric in 1 cup of water and mix well. (I used a metal whisk because it will stain!)
Baby Pink: In a saucepan, place 1 large beet sliced up, 4 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of white vinegar.
Purple: To create this color, add 1 cup of water and ½ of blueberries to a small sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.
Red: 2 cups of water along with ½ of frozen cherries and two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Blue: ½ a cup of red cabbage with 4 cups of water and two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Green: ½ a cup of spinach with 4 cups of water and two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Make a Design | Use several rubber bands to create a design on your fabric! There are so many ways to do this, but here are 3 simple options that we found on google (click here to see a video tutorial of each)
Bullseye - lay it flat, pinch the middle, pull it up towards you and then place rubber bands (rubber band spacing is up to you!) along the section that you are holding. You can do more than one bullseye, just space them out on different parts of the fabric.
Swirl (Classic Tie Dye Look) - lay it flat, pinch the middle, and start twisting clockwise. It will start to bunch up, so use your other hand to help bring the sides in to create the swirl and then secure it with rubber bands.
Stripe - lay it flat, then from one side start a fan fold (not rolling, folding), from sleeve to sleeve. Use rubber bands to make the stripes down the length of the shirt (rubber band spacing is up to you!)
Time to Tie Dye | The main event is finally here!
If you are just using one color per fabric, then bring your dye mixture and fabric in the saucepan to a boil, and then let simmer for 30 minutes. Occasionally move it around so every part gets covered. For deeper colors, shut off the heat after 30 minutes and allow it to soak overnight, sitting in the dye mixture.
Depending on how many colors you want to have in your fabric and the design you choose, you might need to get creative in keeping certain colors to certain parts of the fabric. If you want to dye part of the shirt in a certain color, bring your dye mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes with the desired area of fabric for coloring in the pan. Occasionally move it around so every part gets covered. (i.e. you may have to hold it there or use something to prop the fabric up while it soaks).
When removing the fabric from the saucepan, opt to use tongs or gloves since it will be hot! Rinse your fabric again under cold water for a few minutes and then let it air dry.
And voila, that’s it! We hope that you and your kids can enjoy this DIY project together and that your new tie dye items help make your summer even brighter.
About the author:
Alyssa Wozniak
Alyssa Wozniak is the Groups Director at the East Paris Campus.