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Tie-Dyeing at Home

Right on man, let’s tie-dye! Team GCM Member, Ryan, was scouring Amazon for some fun activity packs to do with her kiddos while at home, and she stumbled upon an all-in-1 tie-dye kit! She hit the purchase button as soon as you could say “tie-dye” and it was delivered right to her door. I asked Ryan if the tie-dye kit got the stamp of approval from her kiddos, her response? They loved it!

The Tulip One Step Tie-Dye Kit that Ryan purchased is under $20 and comes in a reusable storage bin with enough supplies to create up to 36 projects! It’s also got 18 squeeze-bottles of non-toxic dyes in 14 colors, step-by-step instructions for over 8 tie-dye looks, and no need to presoak fabrics before dyeing! Time to get those old t-shirts you and your kiddos have and turn them into colorful creations! 

Want to add to the fun? Find a playlist on the streaming platform of your choice and play some tunes from the 60s and 70s to jam to while you tie-dye! 

Want to make it educational? Brush up on your tie-dye history knowledge so you can talk with your kiddos about where the art of tie-dyeing came from! Here are some fun facts to share with your kiddos on tie-dye’s history: 

  • Historians have limited knowledge of the early techniques of tie-dyeing and similar styles because textiles decay faster than other artistic mediums! This means that old, old, old samples of this style are hard to find. (Vox)
  • What historians have found out is that tie-dyeing and similar styles date back from the fifth to the sixth century from China to Egypt, all the way to Peru! (Vox)
  • Japanese shibori techniques can create shapes that look like spiderwebs, geometric patterns, and figurative shapes! (Vox)
  • In ancient times, people used natural dyes from berries, leaves, and flowers to create colored dye for their fabrics! (The Adair Group)
  • The 1960s and 70s are the decades most commonly associated with tie-dye because of photographs of people dancing, enjoying music, and wearing tie-dye clothing at the music festival, Woodstock, in 1969! (The Adair Group)

Team GCM Creators: Ryan & Carlynn