Fun Sixties Tie and Dye T-Shirt Craft For Teens

If you are as old as I am you will remember all the tie and dye of that era. Even though it is true that tie-dye clothing, and other tie-and dye items, made their first appearance in the 1960s, tie and dye is still a popular choice for crafts. Teenagers and younger kids as well as some adults can wear tie-dye clothing and experience the fun of wearing something you made yourself.

Here’s how you can tie and dye your own t-shirt.

Rather than using commercial dyes, you can use simple food colorings which you probably have in your kitchen cabinets. Food coloring won’t give as deep a color as commercial dyes, but it’s safe for everyone to use.

You’ll need the following items to tie and dye your own t-shirt:

• Light-colored t-shirt (wool, silk, and nylon work well; cotton may not work as well for food coloring but does work with clothing dye and soda ash)
• 2 Buckets or bowls of clear water
• Rubber bands of various sizes
• Plastic bags
• 2 or 3 colors of food coloring or clothing dye
• Condiment bottles, one for each color
• Vinegar
• Salt

How to do your tie and dye craft:

1. Begin by soaking the t-shirt in an equal amount of water and white vinegar for about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Take the t-shirt out and wring as much water out as possible so it’s still damp but not dripping.
3. Spread the damp t-shirt out on a table and grab the center.
4. Hold the center and twist the shirt and put rubber bands around the shirt or tie knots in it.
5. This is what gives the shirt its unique look.
6. Mix the food coloring or dye in the bowl with water.
7. You can also place the mixture in the condiment bottles.
8. When using bowls, dip the shirt into the dye; if you’re using the condiment bottles, squirt the mixture onto the shirts.
9. Since you’re using at least two colors, you can dip separate parts of the shirt into the dyes to create color explosions on the fabric.
10. If the two colors overlap they will create new colors.
11. Once the shirt is dyed to your satisfaction, wrap it in a plastic bag and place the bag someplace warm.
12. Leave it there for a minimum of 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
13. However, don’t let it get too hot - depending upon the fabric, it may begin to shrink.
14. After the rest time is over, remove the rubber bands from the shirt or untie it.
15. Fill a bucket or sink with clean cool water and one cup of salt.
16. Stir the water until the salt has dissolved as much as possible.
17. Rinse the t-shirt in this water.
18. This will help set the colors.
19. Keep rinsing until no more color shows in the water.
20. Then wash and dry the t-shirt with other colored clothing.

There is your fun tie-dye-T-Shirt for the summer. Now you know how to tie and dye your own t-shirt you can have the latest fashion item and have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made it yourself. Of course, once your friends see your t-shirt, they may ask you to help them make one, too.

Once you have tasted the experience of working with fabrics such as this tie and dye crafts, you may want to move on to something a little more elaborate. For this silk painting is very good.

With silk painting you can make a beautiful scarf for yourself or a friend. So, do not stop with tie and dye, move on to silk painting. The easiest way to start is to get one of the many silk painting kits that are available and try it out first.

So, enjoy your tie and dye and then look into silk painting