These tie dye beach towels are an eye-catching project perfect for a sunny spring or summer day.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Crafting Time25 minutesmins
Resting Time6 hourshrs
Total Time6 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Age Group: Adult Crafts, Kids Crafts
Supplies
Tie Dyein 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.