The U.S. is a giant country spanning a whole continent and farther! That means some people are having brutally hot weather while others are still pretty cool. Few things are universal. However, one thing is certain: if you have a child in your life, they are out of school and starting to get bored.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, family member or friend, summer is when we all spend the most time with kids. And, while they aren’t in school, it’s fun to do activities together. But, if you are in an area where it’s scorching outside, you may be busy staying hidden from the sun!
There is a fun summer activity that everyone enjoys regardless of age that can be done inside or out: tie-dyeing! Tie-dyeing is a fun craft that is easy to do and leaves you with something cool to wear. If you are outside, you don’t really have to worry about the mess. You wear clothes you don’t mind staining, put on gloves and then dye things on the grass without concern!
But, if it’s too hot outside, you can pull it off indoors. The only tricky step is preventing dye from getting on things. The dye in tie dye kits is made to permanently stain clothes. It will also permanently stain surfaces. That’s why you should get a plastic tablecloth. If you are tie-dyeing with younger kids, a mess is more likely; you may want to cut garbage bags and tape them to the floor or put down a tarp. If you have a garage or basement, that can be the perfect place to tie-dye.
You also need access to a sink, bathtub or shower to rinse off your dye bottles and pour out your dye water. It shouldn’t be your kitchen sink, as the dye isn’t safe to drink, and you don’t want cross-contamination with food. And you want to be sure you are dying your items in an area where you don’t have to walk over a nice floor to get to your sink — you don’t want to ruin a carpet!
Make sure you have all of your dyes, objects, gloves, paper towels, plastic bags and other materials gathered before you start. Creating a dying station means fewer chances of accidentally traipsing dye through your home. Clean as you go; having rags or paper towels to clean up any drips or spills will stop them from spreading. Rinse everything well and store your supplies in a plastic tub when you aren’t using them until you tie dye again. Be sure to clean the tablecloth before removing it: there might still be some wet dye that could drip off it. If you get any dye spots in places they shouldn’t be, bleach-based cleaners are good at removing the stains. But do so quickly; the longer the dye is there, the harder it will be to remove!
You can tie dye just about anything. Shirts, sweatshirts, socks, tote bags, dishtowels and even canvas sneakers are all fun options! By tying the material into patterns before adding the dye, you can make intricate designs and have an idea of what your project will look like before it’s unfolded and washed!
Tie-dying is a fun summer activity that lets you be creative and get messy. But if it’s hot and you’re doing it inside, you’ll want to avoid most of the mess! By following these steps, you can have a great time with the kids in your life and keep your house clean!
