Group Tie-Dye Project

Group Tie-Dye Project

Tie-Dye makes a great group activity! It's safe and fun for the participants and easy and inexpensive for the organizer.

Whether you have a camp group, a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop, a birthday party, a family reunion, or a school class, tie-dye is a blast!

We've been in the business of selling tie-dye supplies for over 36 years. Our dyes are safe and easy to use and are the #1 choice of professional and beginning tie-dyers alike. These are the dyes to use for bright, clear colors that won't wash out or fade.

To make things easy, we have assembled four Tie-Dye Group Kits that contain everything you need (except the clothing!) for a successful tie-dye project with a group of the given size. You can either buy these kits as is, or you can just use the materials lists below as a guideline and buy exactly what you want for your own project. Another option is to use our Tie-Dye Ordering Helper to walk you through the ordering process.

Each kit comes with complete group instructions, so no prior experience is needed to have a successful project. You can also give us a call toll-free and talk to one of our tie-dye experts if you have any questions: 800-542-5227 (8am-5pm California time).

If you need something to tie-dye, we have a wide variety of inexpensive white T-shirts and other white clothing blanks in all sizes for men, women, and children.

Have fun!


6 People

20 People

50 People

100 People
Teeny Tiny
Tie-Dye Kit
Serious Tie-Dye Kit
Qty.
Fiber Reactive Dye #1 Lemon Yellow
(1 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #13 Fuchsia
(1 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #25 Turquoise
(1 oz.)

 1
Soda Ash Fixer (1 lb.)

 1
Urea (1 lb.)

 1
Synthrapol (4 oz.)

 1
Plastic Squeeze Bottles (8 oz.)

 3
Rubber Bands

 50
Rubber Gloves (Size Medium)

 1
Dust Mask

 1
Complete Instructions

 1
Total Price $23.95
Small Group
Tie-Dye Kit
Qty.
Fiber Reactive Dye #1 Lemon Yellow
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #13 Fuchsia
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #25 Turquoise
(2 oz.)

 1
Soda Ash Fixer (5 lb.)

 1
Urea (1 lb.)

 1
Synthrapol (8 oz.)

 1
Plastic Squeeze Bottles (16 oz.)

 6
Rubber Bands

 ~250
Rubber Gloves (Size Medium)

 6
Dust Mask

 1
Book: Rainbow Tiedye

 1
Complete Instructions

 1
Total Price $44.95
Big Group
Tie-Dye Kit
Qty.
Fiber Reactive Dye #1 Lemon Yellow
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #13 Fuchsia
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #25 Turquoise
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #10 Fire Red
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #22 Cobalt Blue
(2 oz.)

 1
Fiber Reactive Dye #44 Better Black
(2 oz.)

 1
Soda Ash Fixer (10 lb.)

 1
Urea (5 lb.)

 1
Synthrapol (16 oz.)

 1
Plastic Squeeze Bottles (16 oz.)

 6
Rubber Bands

 ~500
Rubber Gloves (Medium)

 12
Dust Mask

 1
Book: Rainbow Tiedye

 1
Complete Instructions

 1
Total Price $69.95
Additional / Optional Items [what's this?]
- SOMETHING TO TIE-DYE! (We have all kinds of blank white clothing, or you can have kids bring their own items so you don't have to figure out sizes)
- Plastic Buckets (to mix the the soda ash and soak the shirts)
- More Dyes (we have 100 colors to choose from!)
- More Sqeeze Bottles (for larger groups, you may want more than one sqeeze bottle per dye color)
- More Rubber Gloves (gloves are cheap and keep those hands clean!)
- Disposable Plastic Drop Cloths (to cover tables, floors, etc.)
- Disposable Plastic Aprons (to protect clothing)
- Reduran (Hand Cleaner - for removing dye from your hands)
- Old newspapers (to lay the projects on when applying dyes)
- Plastic Baggies (one for each project)

Instructions

Traditionally, tie-dye is a pattern of color made by preventing the dye from reaching some areas of the material while vat dyeing others. Folding, tieing, stitching, crumpling or otherwise preparing the fabric inhibits the flow of the dye. Nowadays most folding, scrunching & twisting is done starting with the wet shirt flat on a plastic covered table. The pattern of the folds etc. and where the colors are squirted dictates the resulting design. Figure maybe 4 oz of dye liquid per average T-shirt. With experience, the end result can be predicted and controlled to some extent, but surprise is part of what makes tie-dye an exciting and interesting art form - and there will be plenty of surprises.
PREPARATION (before the session starts):

It is best to have the tables all set up, covered with plastic, etc. Each work area should have newspapers, rubber bands, gloves, finger rinsing bowl, paper towels or a sponge, a bucket of premixed soda ash (allow about a gallon of soda ash mix for each 8-10 adult t-shirts - (1 lb of soda ash makes 2 gallons), and squirt bottles of premixed dye in the selected colors. It is always best to use freshly made up dye, so you can mix it the morning of the class, or the night before at most. This allows for the brightest possible color.

To mix up the dye in quantities you need, just multiply our 8 oz recipe by the number of cups of each color you will need - how to figure that out, you say? Well...

For example:

Tie-dyeing 50 t-shirts in 3 colors, using 4 "stations" with 12 to13 students at each station:

  1. Soda ash soak: 4 buckets, 2 1/2 gallons each, will take 5 lbs
  2. Dye: 3 colors in 16 oz squeeze bottles will tie- dye 12-13 shirts at ea station, unless people really pour on the dye-(for 4 stations, you need 12 bottles-kit has 6-need 6 more) use a dust mask!

ACTUAL PROJECT:

You can demonstrate tyeing to the whole group first, showing them how to tie their garments-then have everyone do it at their station while it is fresh in their memory. Then all the shirts can be soaked in the soda ash 5-10 min. (Use gloves!) During that time you can demonstrate how to apply the dye on a pre-tied and soaked garment. Be sure and demonstrate how to get the dye into the folds! Then turn 'em loose! After garments are dyed, lay them all out on newspaper with plastic over the top to keep them damp for the curing process, making sure that shirts don't touch each other, or have each student put their garment in a plastic bag. Then, have the students help clean up!

Caution! The soda ash solution is mildly caustic - it can irritate your skin.
Wear gloves and eye protection. Rinse off at once to avoid eye and skin irritation.
1. Fold and/or tie the fabric into the desired patterns.The designs will be more defined if you wet the shirt and squeeze or spin out excess water before folding.
2. Wear your dust mask and dissolve 1 cup (8 oz.) of Soda Ash Fixer per gallon of warm water. Soak the tied garments about 5-15 minutes (until saturated). Reuse solution until gone. Squeeze out excess so garment is just damp, not dripping.
3. Using your dust mask and gloves, combine water with all chemicals except dye. Add liquid to dye gradually, pasting up to avoid lumps. Apply dye with squeeze bottles, paint brushes, sponges, etc., as many colors as you want. Easiest to use a funnel to pour dissolved dye into squeeze bottles.
Dye Formula:
  • 8 oz. cup of warm water
    • (not hot, body temperature)
  • 2 to 8 teaspoons of Procion dye
    • Some colors are noted with * on
    the Procion dye page
    (Colors with no * = 2 teaspoons)
    (One * = 4 teaspoons)
    (Two ** = 8 teaspoons)
  • 1 tablespoon Urea
    • (dissolve in hot water first).
  • 1/4 teaspoon water softener
    • (if needed)
    (A little to slow spreading, and control color, if desired.)
    4. Put fabric (still tied) in a plastic bag (the idea is to keep it wet and chemically active - any method of keeping it wet is O.K.) and let sit for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours to "cure". Shorter times work better in summer, and longer times are needed when it is cold.
    5. Remove from bag and while still tied, rinse off the excess dye under cold running water (faucet, hose or shower), then rinse in warmer water while you untie and after garments are untied, until water runs fairly clear. Have your washing machine pre-filled with hot water with Synthrapol and throw in the clothing as soon as it is rinsed, running it through a full cycle.
    VARIATIONS & HELPFUL HINTS
    • Dye shirt a solid color first using Tub Dyeing Method, then tie-dye using above method.
    • After step 4, untie and re-tie in contrasting pattern.
    • After tie-dyeing item, re-tie and use Discharge paste to bleach out a contrasting pattern.
    • Sprinkle pure Procion powder onto tied and pre-soaked item for different effect (super intense color. Use a salt shaker with lots of salt and some dye for a lighter application)
    • Put a small amount of Sodium Alginate thickener into dye mixture (step 3) to slow down the rate that the dye spreads and to create sharper edges.
    • In step 4 any method keeping the fabric wet is OK, needn't be a plastic bag - cover many with plastic drop cloth, wrap in plastic wrap, etc. The warmer the temperature where you lay out your tie-dyes to cure, the quicker the chemical reaction.
    • Use Water Softener if you suspect you have "hard" water.
    • DON'T USE HOT WATER. The dyes work best in warm water (105 degrees) except #25, which can be used slightly warmer. #250 does like hot water and doesn't do well for tie-dye.
    • Urea helps dye to dissolve, so dissolve the Urea in water first. Add this water to the dye powder gradually and paste it up to avoid lumps. Undisolved dye makes "explosions" of color or "freckles", so if a color is difficult to dissolve, straining through some light fabric might be necessary. Coffee filters only work if the dye is really liquid. Otherwise, they filter out too much of the dye.
    • If you have trouble making a paste of the colors, a little Calsolene Oil can help because it breaks the surface tension.
    • Cover your work surfaces with old newspapers or folded paper towels to absorb extra dye. Wear old clothes! After applying dye to one side, flip garment over and repeat the process. Inject the tip of the squeeze bottle into the folds for best dye penetration and less white on the final product.
    • With this dye, there is always lots of "excess dye" to be washed out. Don't crowd your washing machine with too much tie-dye or the water gets too muddy and so will your tie-dyes. Delicate items like rayon and silk are better hand washed or should go into a mesh bag on a gentle cycle so the agitation doesn't shred them.
    • Planning a tie-dye party? We can make it easier with our Group Tie-Dye Instructions.
    QUICK EXPLANATION
    OF THE CHEMICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN TIE-DYEING
    Fiber reactive dyes attach permanently to cellulose fibers using a covalent (electron-sharing) bond. These molecules carry a "chromophore" which absorb varying spectrums of the light, allowing only certain spectrums to reflect.
    Covalent bonding is the one of the most basic and strongest types of chemical reactions. This reaction happens gradually over time depending on temperature and/or the Ph level of the surrounding environment.
    The Soda Ash pre-soak raises the pH level of the garment or fabric to approximately 10.5. Raising the pH level of the solution that the fabric or garment is soaked in raises the level of negative hydrogen ions in the dyeing environment. The chemical bonding process uses these ions in the reaction. Pre-soaking in Soda Ash fixer solution is what allows the fiber reactive dyes to work at room temperature.
    The reaction can also be aided with heat. Some tie-dyers have had success with using baking soda and microwaving their dyed articles. Since baking soda is a weaker alkali than Soda Ash, it must be accompanied by heat. Some people who are "chemically sensitive" choose to use this method.
    The dye is allowed to react in a desirable host environment for up to 24 hours. After this time, the bonding sites on the cellulose should be saturated with dye molecules. Excess dye molecules that have not bonded permanently are washed away using warm water rinse and a dye-carrying detergent like Synthrapol.

    RINSING:

    Use gloves! While garment is still tied it needs to be rinsed as much as possible under warm running water (faucet, hose, shower, bathtub), then gradually untied while still rinsing. Get as much dye out as possible this way, then immediately wash with hot water and synthrapol. Synthrapol is a special detergent that helps get the rest of the excess dye out so it won't bleed and run in future washings. Students could bring little jars to take some home in - warning-it can eat through plastic baggies. Remember, good rinsing procedure keeps the clothes from looking "muddy" and colors from running over each other into white areas. You can't skimp on water! Immediate washing with synthrapol keeps the excess dye that is still left from bleeding. Before washing, don't let the dyed clothing touch anything!

    CARE:

    Since procion dyes are "fiber reactive", they are very permanent and will not fade or bleed. Bleach or detergents containing bleach should not be used! If the garments have been properly rinsed and washed, they are safe to throw in with the family laundry!


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