Jump on the tie-dye fashion bandwagon

Tie-dye fashion is in and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. More so now that most of us are stuck indoors with little to do.

It’s a classic trend that represents a free spirit and happiness because the pop of color takes away all the seriousness life has brought on us.

During this lockdown, you have all the time to experiment with different styles. Give your closet a little makeover by trying out some tie-dye DIYs.

What you’ll need:

i. The item you’re dyeing

In this case you can pick the easiest item for your DIY like shirts made of cotton.

ii. Tie-dye kit

The kits can come in a powder or liquid form. You can buy this from any arts shop or a book store.

iii. Water

You’ll use this to mix the powder if you choose the powder kit.

iv. Application bottle

This will make things easier when working with powder dyes. Believe you me it is better to have one than not to. It will make the process much faster and less messy.

v. Rubber bands

vi. Gloves

vii. Plastic zip lock bags

Instructions:

1. Start by wearing gloves to prevent the dyes from staining your hands then lay your items on old newspapers or on any surface that you won’t have to struggle cleaning because it can get a little messy.

2. Dyeing instructions vary depending on the kit you buy. If you’re using the powder dyes, they’ll probably instruct you to mix it with a certain amount of water. Once you’ve mixed it, pour your colors into application bottles. Liquid dyes have already been pre-mixed for you and all you need to do is shake the bottle to release some of the dye that’s settled at the bottom.

3. Lay your items on a flat surface and pinch the center. Start twisting the fabric in a circular motion until the entire fabric twists into a coil. This will give you spiral designs which is the classic tie-dye look. Get a few rubber bands and tie across the fabric leaving sections in between. The rubber bands should look like an asterisk sign.

4. Another simple technique you can try is the crumpling method. Crumple the fabric into a ball then tie the rubber bands in an asterisk shape or in random sections.

5. Squeeze the different dye colors into each section. Then flip the item over and cover the bottom area with the same colors.

6. Carefully place the item in a plastic zip lock bag and let it set for around eight hours to ten hours.

7. If your dye kit came with a fixer solution, which is a chemical that prevents the dye from fading out, you’ll just follow the instruction given and soak the item for the recommended time. When it’s done, rinse.

8. If it didn’t come with a fixer, you can still rinse the item under cold water until the water is almost clear, then wash it with a bit of detergent.

9. Let it air-dry and it's finally ready to wear.

Ways you can rock tie-dye:

Tie-dye is considered casual wear for the most part. It’s better to wear it in informal settings like when going for lunch with some friends.

It usually looks good with solid colors like black, navy blue or even white. If you pair them with other washed out colors or too many prints, your outfit might look a little confusing to the eye.

But, there’s really no standard rule on dressing tie-dye items, you’re free to play around with different styles as long as you come up with something aesthetically pleasing.