4th of July Tie Dye

One of our favorite 4th of July traditions is tie dying.

We do it every year and I have to admit,

 we have perfected 

The Swirl!

It is a lot easier than you might think.

You will need:

pre-washed cotton t-shirts

permanent dye

rubber bands 

clothes pin or your fingers

Spread out your shirt,

and with the clothes pin or your fingers,

pinch where you would like the swirl to start...

then gently turn in a circular motion until the entire shirt is twisted around it...

take a rubber band

(or a piece of string if you have a large shirt)

and place around the circumference to keep intact… 

then place a few rubber bands across the diameter...

prepare your red and blue die baths

 according to package instructions...

and dip in one side

(be careful, if your shirt is dry, the die will seep up, 

so just watch to make sure it doesn't go too high, 

you want there to be a strip of white around where the rubber bands are,

wet shirts will not bleed as much)

keep in dye until desired color is achieved

(the longer the better)

and gently squeeze out any access and let dry a few minutes before dipping in other side

I like to let the shirts sit for a few hours to really set in 

before rinsing under cold water until water runs clear

(do one side at a time so the colors don't mix)

Then the real fun begins!

The big reveal is so exciting,

at first it doesn't look like much but as you unwrap...

it comes to life...

and ta da...

Machine wash shirts separately in cold water.

Happy Summer.