Beginnings of Tie Dye in the U.S.

• The owners of a company called Rit Dye began marketing their product as a clothing dye in Greenwich Village in 1965 in an effort to save the company, according to a 2008 article in the LA Times by Erin Weinger. Tie dye caught on quickly, and sales skyrocketed as the psychedelic movement grew.
  
  

Methods

• To tie dye a piece of fabric, a resist must be used. A resist can be anything that keeps the dye from entering the fabric. As Cindy Walter and Jennifer Priestley say in "The Basic Guide to Dyeing and Painting Fabric," "You can create a resist pattern by tightly tying, pleating, overstitching, or twisting the fabric." When tie dyeing fabric, people typically tie the fabric tight or band it with rubber bands to keep the dye off of a certain area. The particular arrangement of these pressure points can create an unlimited number of designs. A simple form of tie dye involves scrunching the fabric into a bundle and binding it with string or rubber bands, as Kate Wells says in her book, "Fabric Dyeing and Printing." As she mentions, circular designs became extremely popular in the late 1960s and 1970s. To create these designs, you pull up a section of the fabric and bind it at different points down the length of the fabric.
  
  

Types of Dye

• Rit still remains a popular all-purpose dye, but your local craft store probably has other brands of dye as well. The Dharma Trading Company carries tie-dyeing supplies as well.
  
  

Materials Needed

• Tie dyeing is easy because there's no right or wrong way to do it. You'll need to purchase or gather a few simple materials. They won't cost much, especially if you're doing it with a group of friends. It makes a great kids' party activity, and tie-dyed shirts are great party favors.
  
  Here's what you'll need:
  White T-shirts (or other items of clothing, sheets, or whatever you want to dye)
  Buckets
  Dye
  Long spoon or other utensil (for mixing the dye)
  Plastic bottles (for applying the dye, if the directions call for them)
  Rubber gloves
  Rubber bands
  Rags (for cleaning up)
  Salt (helps to brighten some brands of dye)
  Tarp or newspapers (for protecting your work area)
  
  

Basic Instructions

• After you've gathered the materials you'll need, wash and dry your shirt or other fabric items. Then tie on the rubber bands in the pattern of your choice. You can also do this at random, which can make for interesting designs as well. Then follow the directions for preparing your dye; this varies by brand. When you're ready to dye, you may have to let the fabric sit in the dye for a while, or it may dye more quickly, depending on the brand. Use your judgement about that. Also, be aware of which colors you are applying next to each other because some combinations will look muddy when they bleed into each other. Follow the instructions about how long to wait before washing the fabric. Be sure to not wash your tie-dyed fabrics with other fabrics, which could become stained.
  
  

Creative Ideas

• You can dye many items of clothing, of course, not just shirts. Raid your wardrobe for old clothes that need to be updated. You can dye skirts, sheets and pillowcases, towels, socks, curtains, and countless other items. This can be a great solution for a college student on a budget---you can brighten up that dorm room and have fun doing it!