How to Tye Dye

Tye Dye is a fun project for adults and children. Tye dye works well on a variety of surfaces ranging from the traditional white t-shirt to bed sheets. The universal appeal of tye dye has kept it current and somewhat trendy for the last four decades. The process of tye dye is simple and beginners as well as those with a little more experience can achieve great results.

Start by folding or tying the t-shirt or material into the desired patter. You can bunch a part of the fabric up and tie it off with a rubber band or piece of white string. If you want your lines of color to be distinct and more crisp, than wet the fabric before you tie it. Complete the fold and tie process on the entire piece of fabric before you move onto the next step. This is your chance to create a unique pattern, so be creative.

Next, you will want to wear a dust mask for this step. You can find inexpensive dust masks at any home improvement store, hardware store, or even some arts and craft stores. Mix one cup of soda ash fixer with one gallon of warm water. Soda ash fixer can be purchased at the arts and craft store and in some super markets. Place your tied fabric in the soda ash water mixture and allow it to soak for about ten minutes. Once ten minutes has passed remove the garment or fabric from the solution. Squeeze any excess moisture out. The purpose of the soda ash fixer is to allow you to color your material at room temperature. It changes the pH level of your fabric and helps in the development of the dye color. Many dyes today, especially dyes meant for crafting projects with kids, will not call for the use of soda ash fixer. If you are trying to create a tye dye that has the bright professional colors you see on shirts for sale in stores, you will want to use this method. For a quick and easy project with the kids you can eliminate this step.