Momi Berlin got a text message from Firstborn. He needs a white shirt, three packs of Joboss and a bundle of rubber band. I got home and my guess was right. He needed to tie-dye a shirt.
Tie-die made a big hit in the 1960s and resurfaced in the 1990s. Since then, it has moved in and out of fashion. But I still do not appreciate its look, more so find it creative or attractive.
So I left Firstborn to make his project by himself.
easy steps to tie-dye a shirt: materials
white shirt
a pack of dye
rubber bands
hot water
empty bottle container
7 easy steps to tie-dye a shirt
1. Boil water. In an empty bottle, pour the hot water and dye powder. Shake.
2. Wash the white shirt under running water and wring out excess water after. A semi-wet fabric accepts the dye easily.
3. Lay shirt on a flat surface. Locate the center of the shirt then pinch the fabric and start twisting it around in a swirl.
easy steps to tie-dye a shirt
4. Wrap a rubber band about two inches down from the center. Keep wrapping rubber bands down the length of the shirt until you get to the end. You may need three-four rubber bands.
Next, start squirting the dye on the shirt.
easy steps to tie-dye a shirt
5. Put the dyed shirt into a ziplock and leave it overnight.
easy steps to tie-dye a shirt
6. Remove the shirt from the bag. Remove the rubber bands and wash the shirt under running water until the water runs clear.
easy steps to tie-dye a shirt
7. Let it air-dry
I guess Firstborn enjoyed doing his project. He told me that tie-dyeing requires creativity to get the swirls and depth of its color. But more than anything else, Firstborn learned to work on his own. He gained confidence from that simple tie-dye project. He quipped as well that in tie-dyeing a shirt, one needs to cover all surfaces with plastic to prevent staining.
I got his point then. I need to scrub off some stain in my kitchen.
* My firstborn’s school project about three years ago. We were cleaning the boys’ cabinet and saw his tie-dye shirt thus this momi decided to repost this blog.
I haven’t tried this! I think we might give it a try, the kids might enjoy the activity. By the way, where did you buy the fabric dye? Thanks!
i’ve tried tie-dying once during home economics class in secondary school and it was so much fun! I tied tons of rubber bands on my fabric and dyed mine multiple times using different colours and then i made that piece of fabric into a small cushion.