Kids Craft: How to Make Tie-Dye Shirts

by Jill Greenlaw on June 21st, 2012 | 2 Comments »

I have four children ranging from the ages of nine to 18. Finding a craft that we can do together as a family isn't always an easy task. When I was shopping at one of my local stores, I saw they carried a range of tie-dye products. Now this was a craft project that I knew everyone could participate in.

If you are able to purchase the tie-dye kits on sale or with a coupon, do it. These can be a little pricey. I chose to go with a kit that had 15 different colors.

How to Make Tie-Dye Shirts

Materials:

Plastic trash bags
Tie-Dye kit
White T-shirts
Water
Plastic Zip-Lock bags
Rubber bands

Instructions:

Do this project in a place where you're not worried about ruining any surfaces. It was such a nice night outside that we did our project on the grass.

First, cut your garbage bags open so you have more room to lay your shirts out. Open you kit and pour the tie dye powder in the plastic bottles provided. Fill the bottles with water to the recommended line. I actually used less water so my dye would be a little stronger. Shake the bottles until the dye is mixed well.

Take your T-shirt and scrunch it up. Your kit will give you many different examples of how to do this. You can use the rubber bands to twist and tie the shirt in different ways. This will make fun designs and patterns on your shirt. When you are finished rubber banding your shirt, you are ready to start dying.

Put on the plastic gloves that come with your kit. The dye will stain your hands and clothes, so be very careful. Do this over your plastic garbage bag. The key to dying your shirt is to squirt the dye in all the crevices. If you work the dye in and try and cover all the white areas, your shirt will be more colorful. Use as many different colors as you would like.

When you are finished designing your shirt, put it in the Zip Lock bag and let it rest for 6-8 hours. Rinse your shirt with water until the water runs clear. Then wash your shirt in hot water and mild soap. This will set your colors. I also like to use a little vinegar to keep the colors vibrant. For the next few washings, do not put your shirt with other items.

That's it! Super simple kids craft project. It was really fun to see how each of the kids created such different designs and color combinations. My husband also got into the action. What a fun project for the whole family.