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Craft Tutorials | Crafts for Kids | Wearable Crafts for Kids | Tie Dye Beach Towels
Wearable Crafts for Kids

Tie Dye Beach Towels

Author by Amanda Davis on July 4, 2023 Updated on July 4, 2023

5 from 3 votes
These tie dye beach towels are an eye-catching project perfect for a sunny spring or summer day.
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Tie Dye Beach Towels
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Have some summer fun making your own tie dye beach towels in two different colorful methods!

Tie Dye Beach Towels


 

Why we love this project

Tie dye beach towels are a great summer project the kids will love getting in on. It’s a colorful way to unleash their creativity where they’re able to show off their creations to friends at the pool or beach.

We have two methods to show you here, the crumple method, and the rainbow method which we used previously on our rainbow tie dye shirts. These two methods are easy and fun for both adults and kids alike.

girl holding Tie Dye Beach Towel

Helpful Project Information:

  • Age Level: 6 and up with the young ones having supervision
  • Mess Factor: High (squeeze bottle dye)
  • Level of Difficulty: Easy
  • Time to Complete: Less than 30 minutes, minus soak time
  • Cost Estimate: Less than $15.00

Craft supplies you will need

supplies for making Tie Dye Beach Towels

Get full list of supplies and directions in the printable version at the end of this post.

How to a Make Tie Dye Beach Towels

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this project. Please scroll down to simply print out the instructions!

Rainbow Method

You have two options of dampening your towel, you can either dampen it before beginning and before adding rubber bands, or you can place the rubber bands into their sections then dampen the towel with a hose. Either way will work, as long as the towel is damp before adding the dye.

  1. Prepare your squeeze bottles with dye according to package instructions, we’re using Tulip’s One-Step Tie Dye Kit.squeeze bottle tie dye
  2. Cover the surface you’ll be working on. Spread the towel flat onto the covered surface while it’s still damp. Scrunch/pleat the towel together starting from the bottom right corner until it’s fully pleated.
  3. Squeeze the towel tightly together and secure it into about 11 sections using rubber bands.
  4. Generously apply the colors to each individual section in whichever color sequence desired.yellow dye on white towel sectioned with rubber bands
  5. Wrap the dyed towel in plastic wrap or in a Ziplock bag and allow to sit for 6-8 hours.
  6. Remove rubber bands then rinse using warm water. Switch to cool water, then back to warm, ending with cool water. Follow with running through the washing machine.rinsing tie dye towel in water

Crumple Method

  1. Prepare tie dye squeeze bottles with dye according to package directions.
  2. Cover the surface you’ll be working on. Spread the towel flat onto the covered surface while it’s still damp.
  3. Scrunch a portion of the towel with one hand and apply a rubber band around it. Repeat this all throughout the towel in as many sections as you’d like.girl crumpling towel with hand for tie dye
  4. Generously apply the squeeze dye on top of the crumpled sections as well as throughout the entire towel, if desired. Use whichever color combination you’d like!tie dying beach towels
  5. You may optionally scrunch the entire towel up, add the rubber bands, and apply your colors this way.
  6. If working with a thick cotton towel, flip it over and apply color to the backside.
  7. Place the towel in a large plastic bag or covered in plastic wrap and allow the colors to set for 6-8 hours.
  8. Remove rubber bands and rinse using warm water. Switch to cool water, then back to warm, ending with cool water. Follow with running the towels through the washing machine.rinsing tie dye beach towels in the sink

Expert Crafting Tips

  • If your towel is particularly thick, be sure to flip it and apply color to the backside. Sometimes the dyes struggle to penetrate through thick cotton.
  • For your first couple of washes, you may want to run it separately from other towels or clothing to avoid color leaking.
  • Be sure to wear disposable gloves! Smocks are also a smart choice for the young ones joining the fun.
  • If you want to create your own colors, you don’t need to mix the dyes in a bottle together, just squeeze the colors right onto the towels.
  • We like using a tablecloth that has a plastic backing on it but a regular plastic tablecloth will do the trick as well.
boy holding Tie Dye Beach Towel

Easily use these two dye method on totes, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and so much more! These tie dye beach towels are an eye-catching project perfect for a sunny spring or summer day.

More Tie Dye Projects

  • Drip Dye Tees
  • Shibori Tie Dye
  • Rainbow Tie Dye Shirts
  • How To Tie Dye Cool Stripes
  • Sunshine Ombre Shibori Tie Dye
  • Drip Tie Dye Backpack

I love to create and share my projects with you! I know it’s hard to remember to come back and search, so I’ve made it easy for you with my weekly newsletter! You can subscribe for free and I’ll send you fun crafts and delicious recipes every week right to your email.

Tie Dye Beach Towels
Print Project
5 from 3 votes

Tie Dye Beach Towels

These tie dye beach towels are an eye-catching project perfect for a sunny spring or summer day.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Crafting Time25 minutes mins
Resting Time6 hours hrs
Total Time6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Age Group: Adult Crafts, Kids Crafts

Supplies

  • Tie Dye in various colors. We're using Tulip's One Step Tie Dye Kit

Craft tools

  • Plastic tablecloth
  • Disposable gloves
  • – rubber bands

Instructions

Rainbow Method

  • Prepare your squeeze bottles with dye according to package instructions.
  • Cover the surface you’ll be working on. Spread the towel flat onto the covered surface while it’s still damp. Scrunch/pleat the towel together starting from the bottom right corner until it's fully pleated.
  • Squeeze the towel tightly together and secure it into around 11 sections using rubber bands.
  • Generously apply the colors to each individual section following whichever color combination you’d like.
  • Wrap the dyed towel in plastic wrap or in a Ziplock bag and allow to sit for 6-8 hours.
  • Remove rubber bands then rinse using warm water. Switch to cool water, then back to warm, ending with cool water. Follow with running through the washing machine.

Crumple Method

  • Prepare squeeze bottles with dye according to package directions.
  • Cover the surface you’ll be working on. Spread the towel flat onto the covered surface while it’s still damp.
  • Scrunch a portion of the towel with one hand and apply a rubber band around it. Repeat this all throughout the towel in as many sections as you’d like.
  • Generously apply the squeeze dye on top of the crumpled sections as well as throughout the entire towel, if desired. Use whichever color combination you’d like!
  • You may optionally scrunch the entire towel up and apply rubber bands it and apply your colors this way.
  • If working with a thick cotton towel, flip it over and apply color to the backside.
  • Place the towel in a large plastic bag or covered in plastic wrap and allow the colors to set for 6-8 hours.
  • Remove rubber bands and rinse using warm water. Switch to cool water, then back to warm, ending with cool water. Follow with running the towels through the washing machine.

Expert Tips & FAQs

  • You have two options of dampening your towel, you can either dampen it before beginning and before adding rubber bands, or you can place the rubber bands into their sections then dampen the towel with a hose. Either way will work, as long as the towel is damp before adding the dye.
  • Be sure to wear disposable gloves! Smocks are also a smart choice for the young ones joining the fun.
  • If you want to create your own colors, you don’t need to mix the dyes in a bottle together, just squeeze the colors right onto the fabric.
  • If your towel is particularly thick, be sure to flip it and apply color to the backside. Sometimes the dyes struggle to penetrate through thick cotton.
    We like using a tablecloth that has a plastic backing on it but a regular plastic tablecloth will do the trick as well.
  • For your first couple of washes, you may want to run it separately from other towels or clothing to avoid color leaking.
  • Author
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Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years.
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Filed Under: Beach Crafts, Beach Crafts for Kids, Summer Crafts, Wearable Crafts for Adults, Wearable Crafts for Kids Tagged With: colorful, diy project, rainbow, tie dye

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Comments

  1. Ali says

    March 6, 2022 at 9:03 am

    Do you go through a ton of dye for the towel?

    Reply
5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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