Fun and Colorful Tie Dye Project Ideas
Here comes the warm weather, the pool parties, the mosquitos … what says Summer to you?? Do you love picnics and lightning bugs? Watermelon or fresh tomatoes from the Garden?
Well, I tell you one thing that speaks Summer to me … it’s is TIE DYE!! So, I have found for you some really cool and fun tie dye ideas to get you started.
Yes Tie Dye … the iconic colorful hippie t shirts from the 70’s. But, you don’t have to be a hippie or a teen to enjoy making and wearing a fun tie dye shirt.
On the contrary, tie dye shirts and other wearables are now main stream. These days you even see tie dye shirts and hats emblazoned with company logos.
What can I tie dye?
As you already know, the most popular things to tie dye are, of course, cotton t shirts but that’s only the beginning! You can tie dye all wearables from socks and hats to long johns and even denim jackets. Just make sure to match the dye to the fabric.
Meaning, if your fabric is made of cotton, you need to use dyes specifically for cotton. Most tie dye kits are designed to work on cotton.
As a general rule, synthetic fibers don’t dye very well. However, RIT now has a dye which is supposed to work well on synthetics. Personally, I have not tried it so if you have, please let me know how it works.
Also see our tips for throwing a super fun TIE DYE PARTY!
What Can I Tie Dye?
As you already know, the most popular things to tie dye are, of course, cotton t shirts but that’s only the beginning! You can tie dye all wearables from socks and hats to long johns and even denim jackets. Just make sure to match the dye to the fabric.
Meaning, if your fabric is made of cotton, you need to use dyes specifically for cotton. Most tie dye kits are designed to work on cotton.
As a general rule, synthetic fibers don’t dye very well. However, RIT now has a dye which is supposed to work well on synthetics. Personally, I have not tried it so if you have, please let me know how it works.
List of 23 Tie Dye Ideas and Projects
1. How to Tie Dye Shoes
by Swoodson Says
An easy way to pretty up your plain tennis shoes with lots of color!
2. Dyed Baby Bodysuits
by Tip Toe Fairy
Dyed Baby Onesies make great DIY Gifts for Baby Showers
3. Patriotic Dip Dye Baby Onesies
by Tip Toe Fairy
How about a dyed Red, White & Blue Onesie?
4. Dyeing with Turmeric
by Pink Fortitude
Natural Dyes also work great for Tie Dye Projects
6. Sunburst Tie Dye Baby Mat
by Swoodson Says
Here’s a fun tie dyed baby blanket tutorial
7. Fun Dyed Dish Towels
by Organized 31
These rainbow dyed towels will brighten up your kitchen!
8. Minions Tie Dye T Shirt
by Diana Rambles
Why not make a Tie Dyed Minions Shirt?
9. Easy Tie Dyed Long Johns
by FiberArtsy
This tie dye tutorial shows you how to make the accordion fold
10. Indigo Tie Dye Blanket
by Swoodson Says
I love the geometric pattern on this Indigo dyed blanket
11. Americana Dyed Towels
by Amy Latta Creations
These dyed towels are perfect for your Summer BBQ
12. Bomb Pop Tie Dyed Shirts
by The Shirley Journey
Your Kids will love making these fun Bomb Pop Shirts
13. Indigo Dyed Curtains
by Swoodson Says
I’m in love with these Shibori Dyed Curtains!
14. Tie Dyed Friendship Bracelets
by California Unpublished
These dyed bracelets are a great idea for a tie dye party.
15. Easy Tie Dye Socks
by Diana Rambles
Who doesn’t love a pair of fun, colorful socks?
16. Shibori Dyed Tea Towels
by FiberArtsy
I make a bunch of these dyed tea towels for Christmas Gifts each year.
17. Salt Resist Tie Dye
by For The Love Of Food
This tutorial shows you how to ‘Resist Dye’ with Salt
18. Upcycled Tie Dye Garden Flag
by Happiness Is Homemade
Turn an old Tee into a Tie Dyed Garden Flag
19. Watercolor Dyed Shorts
by The Makeup Dummy
Give your plain shorts a makeover with this watercolor tie dye technique.
20. Reverse Tie Dye with Bleach
by FiberArtsy
Instead of adding color or dye, this technique takes it away
21. Snow Dye Tie Dye
by FiberArtsy
Learn how to use snow or ice and traditional tie dye patterns to create awesome patterns.
MOCK TIE DYE LINKS
To continue your tie dyeing education, here are some fun fake or mock tie dye ideas. These projects are technically not what you would call “tie dye”. Instead, they create the look without using the actual process of tie dye.
22. Homemade Tie Dye Soap
by One Crazy Mom
Here’s a fun craft project for kids
23. Sharpie Tie Dye Shirts
by Natural Beach Living
A less messy way to make your Tie Dye Shirts with Sharpies
24. Mock Tie Dye Shoes
by Organized 31
Sharpies also work great to make colorful dyed shoes
A huge Thank You to the wonderful ladies for allowing me share their creative tie dye ideas and projects! If you have a favorite tie dye project or method to share, please let me know! I would love to see it 🙂
Enjoy!Annette
FiberArtsy
How do you reverse dye a shirt?
Reverse tie dyeing has become pretty popular lately, hasn’t it? Well, in case you are not familiar with this dyeing technique, it involves removing color instead of adding color. This is usually done with chlorine bleach.
This step by step tutorial shows you exactly how to reverse tie dye using a liquid bleach and water solution.
What colors go well together for dyeing?
I get this question a lot! Remember when you learned about the color wheel back in high school art class? Those lessons still apply to color combinations.
If you are just starting out with mixing colors and are not sure where to start, here are some general rules. But by all means, experiment! You can always test some combinations with watercolors and paper.
Also, if you purchased a tie dye kit, there should be an instruction sheet to give you some ideas.
You can’t go too far wrong with these basics:
Mixing two primary colors (i.e. Blue and Red = Purple)
Colors of the same family generally work well (i.e. Various shades of blues)
To learn more about using a color wheel, check out this informative article.
Tie Die, Tye Die or Tie Dye?
If you’ve ever searched for tie dye ideas or instructions online, you’ll notice it’s spelled many different ways. It can get confusing, right? I see it spelled Tye Dye or Tye Die and Tie Die. Well, being in the dyeing business lol, I did my research. The correct way to spell it is TIE DYE.
Related Fabric Dyeing Posts
How to Paint Tiger Stripes on a T ShirtDecorating Fabric with a Bleach Pen
How to Marble Dye a Silk Scarf
Dyeing Fabric with Acorns
Shibori Dyeing Silk
