By: Kathy Trainor
No Dye Tie Dye is something that has you wondering, what am I talking about now? Tie Dye you always need Dye! Well, after much preschool debate on our school playground amongst the teachers, we found out that we DON’T need Tie Dye at all. Tie Dye is costly, messy and you need a great deal of equipment to to do the event. This also means children may not fully be able to participate. Most often the adults end up doing a great deal of the work. Not really a child-friendly summer craft is it?
This is where No Dye Tie Dye comes in. It is a low cost art activity that any child can do.
You simply can have a child color a shirt and use rubbing alcohol to make the colors bleed and blend. It is suggested to use a light color shirt, though we found to complete the No Dye Tie Dye you should be using a white shirt to have the best effect of the colors bleeding.
No Dye Tie Dye is also recommended to be used with permanent markers for bright vibrant colors. You can use washable colors for the No Dye Tie Dye but you will want to set this with vinegar to allow the washable makers not to wash out. This also means this activity can be done with children ages 1-101. Just make sure to use care with smaller children.
What do you need for No Dye Tie Dye?
- Markers ( we like permanent )
- White T-shirt or any light colored shirt.
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Medication Dropper
- Cup or Cans (optional if you want a Tie Dye look)
- Rubber Bands (optimal if you want a Tie Dye Look)
Choose a spot to start and put your cup right side up and secure a rubber band around the cup rim, holding the shirt tightly in place.
Pick your colors and create a small design in the center of the stretched circle. We kept our designs to about the size of a 20 ounce cup because the alcohol will make the colors spread out a lot.
Once the child is done the No Dye Tie Dye starts. Using your dropper, drip approximately 10 drops of rubbing alcohol in the center of your design and watch the colors spread and bleed.
Community Voices for Health 