Tie-Dying T-Shirts With Kids

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Newly dyed t-shirts drying outdoors

Are you searching for an enjoyable summer activity for children? Creating tie-dyed t-shirts can be a delightful and engaging experience. This activity allows kids to showcase their artistic abilities by choosing vibrant colors and unique designs, or they can simply have fun exploring a wide variety of colors. Moreover, adults can also join in on the excitement, so make sure to have a few adult-sized t-shirts ready.

My grandchildren were with me for a week. We were looking for something fun to do that would be of interest to all of us. Ultimately, we decided to craft tie-dye t-shirts for ourselves and as gifts for their parents. This venture turned out to be a remarkable family project that both the kids and adults enjoyed.

Supplies Needed

• · Fabric dyes

• · Plastic bottles with an applicator tip

• · Rubber bands (about 4-6 for each shirt)

• · Plastic gloves

• · Plastic table cover (some kits come with a small plastic cover.) *t-shirts 100% cotton) or other natural fiber items to dye

• · Wire rack (cake cooling rack works well*

• · Paper towels*

Note: Tie Dye Kits (which I discuss below) contain all but the starred (*) items.

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Finding Supplies and Preparing to Tie-Dye

Although you can use regular fabric dyes for tie-dying t-shirts, I recommend purchasing a kit when working with kids. The tie-dye kit that I purchased for around $20 had all materials except the t-shirts, even sets of gloves, and a table cover. Different-sized kits are available if you want materials for a larger group or for dying more shirts. Utilizing such a kit makes the entire process slightly less complicated, as you are spared the trouble of separately searching for rubber bands and applicator bottles.

You can find the Tulip Tie Dye Kits on Amazon or in craft stores for between $10 and $40 depending on the size of your kit and how many shirts you want to dye. It’s important to note that if the kids get too carried away with applying the dye, you may not get as many shirts out of the kit as advertised. Younger children may require some guidance on how much dye to use.

Hint: Choose a kit that will do only the number of items you plan to dye in one session, as the dyes lose their potency once you add water to them.

Finding Shirts to Dye

When it comes to selecting t-shirts for tie-dyeing, any plain-colored cotton t-shirts will work. We experimented with green, pink, and white t-shirts, and found that the colors appeared more vibrant and clear on white shirts. However, the choice ultimately depends on personal preference. We purchased

multi-packs of men's t-shirts as well as smaller sizes for the younger kids. Additionally, we visited a thrift store where we found a couple of t-shirts for only a dollar each. Once we started, the kids wanted to dye everything! My grandson and I also tie-dyed a couple of faded and stained t-shirts that we already owned and loved how they came out.

Hint: Although you can use colored t-shirts, white t-shirts come out the brightest when using the colors included in the kits.

Preparing the Shirts

Before starting the tie-dyeing process, make sure to wash all the t-shirts using only a small amount of detergent. This step helps remove any sizing from the shirts. If you decide to dry them in the dryer, avoid using fabric softener as it can hinder the absorption of the dye.

Hint: Although you can use colored t-shirts, white t-shirts come out the brightest when using the colors included in the kits.

Be sure to wash the shirts

Before starting the tie-dyeing process, wash all the t-shirts using only a small amount of detergent. This step helps remove any sizing from the shirts. If you decide to dry them in the dryer, avoid using fabric softener as it can hinder the absorption of the dye.

Prepare the Work Area

When folding and rubber banding the t-shirts, you’ll need a table large enough to lay the t-shirts out flat before folding. For convenience, we placed layers of paper towels under a cookie rack and positioned the folded shirts on top for dyeing. It is worth noting that we made use of plastic gloves and covered the table with a plastic sheet for added protection. This is an important step as the dye will stain hands and whatever else it touches.

Our work table with folded t-shit being dyed

To properly prepare the t-shirts for dying, it is necessary to have a spacious table where they can be laid out flat before folding. Our dyeing process took place indoors, but we moved to an outdoor area for rinsing the dyes. To prevent staining sidewalks and patio blocks, we chose a grassy area where we used a hose to rinse the shirts.

A finished bull's Eye design t-shirt

We loved our end product. I hope you do too! For detailed instructions on how to tie-dye a t-shirt, continue here

Tie Dye instructions