If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids to pass the time then I can highly recommend grabbing some old t-shirts and doing some tie-dying. Not only will you be on-trend for summer 2020 but it will keep your little darlings occupied for a good 1-2 hours. It’s pretty easy to do and in my opinion suitable for kids 3 years and above.
Tie Dying Kit. These can be found on Amazon & eBay *Affiliate Links
Things to dye, We used a selection of old T-shirts & a few cheap vests from Poundland.
Plastic sheet to protect your work surface. I suggest doing the tie-dying outside.
Most kits come with plastic gloves but if not grab some old washing up gloves.
Wear Aprons or old clothes that you don’t mind getting marks on.
A big jug of cold tap water.
A roll of clingfilm
1. Prewash your selection of clothes and allow to dry until slightly damp. This will help the dye penetrate the material.
2. Protect work surface with a plastic tablecloth or bin bags.
3. Choose your desired technique and prepare your first item to be dyed. You can find lots of different pattern ideas here: https://www.tiedyeyoursummer.com/techniques
4. Put on your rubber gloves & apron ( if needed ) and select the colours you want to use. Fill each bottle up to the marked line and give it a good shake until the dye is dissolved.
5. Apply the dye to the fabric carefully, making sure to saturate each area but trying not to overlap the colours too much. Turn over your item and carry on applying until you feel the fabric has been fully covered by colour.
6. Wrap each item in clingfilm to keep damp and allow to develop for 6 – 24hrs depending on how vibrant you want the colours to be. We left ours for about 18hrs on an old plastic tray in the laundry room.
7. Put your rubber gloves back on and unwrap each item one at a time and run under cold water until the water runs clear. If you have used any elastic bands leave them on and then once the water has run clear remove and repeat the process.
8. Wash all the items together on the hottest setting suitable for the fabric ( check the labels ) adding a small amount of washing powder. Let them dry naturally allowing plenty of space between each item and away from any other washing. It is advised to wash & dry any tie-dyed fabrics separately the first 2-3 washes.
Once dried your items are ready to wear and you too can look like the hippy version of the von Trapp Family ✌️
