Tie-dye t-shirts!

I totally remember tie-dying as a child -- it was such fashion back then, and I remember how fun and exciting it was. You never really knew what the results were going to be like!

So I decided to make tie-dye t-shirts with the kids. I picked up a packet of fabric dye from the local drugstore (there wasn't much choice -- I used Dylon dye for hand use, colour Ocean Blue), and a few simple, white cotton T-shirts for the kids (plus a onesie for Casper of course).

After pre-washing the shirts, I moistened the shirts (or you can just leave them wet after washing), and put the kids around the table with each a shirt to use and a bag of elastic bands.

After I explained some different folding techniques to them, we started.

For Casper's onesie, I made a big donut by creating a big rosette and pushing the tip back through the rubber band. For Ava's shirt, we made a line of small rosettes which we tied together with one elastic band. Pim used the folding technique, making vertical folds and tying them at irregular intervals. As you can see he's very pleased with the results. And Sara made random circles, bigger and small, which also gave a cool effect I think.

After tying the shirts, I prepared the dye in the kitchen sink and we submerged the shirts in the dye for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a big steel spoon. Then, I rinsed with cold water and let the kids untie their shirts with plastic gloves on. The excitement and surprise -- they absolutely loved it!

After a quick spin in the machine the tie-dye t-shirts were ready to wear. With pride!

xxx Esther