Safe Summer Plans: Tie Dye

While some states are starting to slowly open, many are still compelled to social distance and not gather in groups. Activities such as tie dying can be a good way to make quarantine vibrant and fun like the warm weather invites.

There are a few different ways to tie dye and have fun with it. Examples of this are: bleaching, dying and painting. Each one offers a different look and feel with new opportunities to learn and have fun in the process.

Starting with regular tie dying, you will either need the dye or to pick up a kit from your local crafts store or other retailers. The dye will likely come in powder form at first. If you have the dying kit, then it will come with squirt bottles to fill with water and the dye - if you just have the dye, you will need to get squirt bottles yourself. You will then need rubber bands and clothing to dye.

Some ways to get the effects usually seen from store bought tie dye clothing are to roll up the shirt “hotdog style” and section off four spaces with rubber bands. Then take your desired colors and soak the sections you want. You can also take a fork, put in the middle of a flattened shirt and twirl it until it is a ball with clear swirl patterns. Rubber band the shirt then color it how you may wish. The effects will be spinning patterns and fun patterns. Note that you will need white or lighter color clothes and may need to use a lot of dye to soak into the shirt to get the effect you would like. Once dried, wash with cold water.

With bleach tie dye, you will need to be careful for your own safety and to make sure the liquid does not go anywhere you do not want it to. Along with the same materials needed above, gloves are necessary and so is eye protection. Safety when using bleach to tie dye should be a priority. Using the same techniques in rubber banding the shirts, this process differs as you do not need a lot to get the effects of regular tie dye. Less is more with bleach. You will also need black or darker colored clothing for this process. After applying, use a bathtub or large sink to wash out the excess bleach. You may notice different base colors to the black shirts once the bleach takes effect. Be careful as it is easy to put too much in lose the desired effects of this process.

Shirts are not the only forms of clothing that can be dyed by either of the above methods. Shirts are just the most popular. You can use socks, sweatshirts, sweatpants and even shoes. Black slip-ons look great with bleach tie dye. If you are feeling confident in your abilities, you can also try to draw a design like a heart or a leaf with the dye also. Remember the dye will soak through so be careful and light on the dye when attempting to do this.

Finally, you can paint and get tie dye. No, it is not painting shirts, but canvases. These make great wall decorations and gifts as well as bringing in more fun energy for the warm weather. You start by getting lots of cheap paint bottles wherever you get them from, either pick a color coordination or make it random. Once you have all your paints, start pouring it out in different patterns across the canvas. This process will take a lot of paint so it is okay if you use more than you thought. Then start tilting the canvas in different directions and the paint will start to make its own patterns. Because you are not using brushes, the paint will have a harder time to mix and can look layered. You will need to get the corners and sides so it is okay if you need to add more paint. There is no rhyme or reason to how the paint is placed or should look, just go for it and have fun. This is also a great way to spend time with others.

If you are feeling bored and looking for some color while things feel drab, give these tips a try. It is fun regardless of whether you are with others or by yourself. The mood while doing these is always light hearted.

How will you make summer colorful?

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