Summertime -- it's almost here and I can practically taste those cooling-down-by-lemonade afternoons, soft serve cones dripping all the way down my arm, the faint flavor of sunscreen-kissed foods and the salty sea air!
Will you be spending some time poolside or on sandy banks or shores this summer? Why not make a creative splash into summer with an afternoon of easy tie-dye, customizing your own bathing suits and beach towels?
A glance into current catalogs, magazines, and stores reveals that apparel with a chic color gradient (ombre) is one of the hottest trends in summer fashion! With a
Tulip Tie Dye kit from Walmart, Walmart Canada, Michaels, JoAnn, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, or Meijer (
Tie dye kit contents and colors may vary by store) you can create your own designer looks at home!
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| Tulip dyed suit, less than $20 |
With the Tulip Tie Dye Kit, you're not limited to a single technique. In fact, the kit comes with instructions for 14 different ways to dye with style (that sounds a bit funny, doesn't it?).
Here's how my girls and I made the ombre swimsuits and beach towels using Tulip Tie Dye:
Materials
Tulip ® One-Step Fashion Dye Kit (there are 16 kits to choose from)
(I used the Lime, Orange and Blue from the 5-color kit)
A Tulip Surface Cover
(to protect your work area)
Plastic gloves & Rubber Bands
(come in the kit)
A pitcher of water
An empty bucket
(for wringing excess dye)
A rag or paper towels
(just in case there are any spills)
Spray bottles
(optional: only if you're looking for a very light effect on thin fabric)
OMBRE BATHING SUIT DIY
Start out with a a plain white bathing suit or swim trunks. I purchased mine from Dharma Trading online. I was thrilled with the trunks, which were only $9. The racer back bathing suit, however, is made of cotton and is more like a leotard. It is transparent when wet.
Step 1: Wash and dry swim suit using no fabric softener or dryer sheets.
Step 2: Prepare your work area (I prefer to work outside) by spreading the Tulip Surface Cover. Put on the plastic gloves.
Step 3: Choose a color scheme. The shorts and suit pictured above use one dominant color and one accent color. Start by filling dye bottle of the dominant color 1/3 with water. This ultra-condensed dye will form the baseline of your gradient.
Step 4: Use the nozzle of the dye bottle to apply a row of color along the bottom of the suit. Use a gloved hand to rub the dye into the fabric. You may need to flip the garment and add more dye on the other side.
Step 5: Using the pitcher of clean water, fill the dominant dye bottle to the top with water. Saturate another row of color. You'll use about half of the bottle.
Step 6: Continue refilling, dyeing a row, then refilling again to create progressively lighter bands of color.
Step 7: As you near the top 1/3 of the garment, pause to fill the accent color bottle with water. Amount of water will depend on the desired intensity of color. Apply a band of accent color to the garment.
Step 8: Continue to apply progressively lighter bands of color to the suit until you've reached the top.
Step 9: You can stop here, or for a more subtle blending of the accent color, gently squeeze the garment, over the empty bucket, from the top and working gently toward the bottom. This will allow the colors to blend downward into one another.
Step 10: Use a rag or paper towels to clean the plastic work area. Lay the finished piece back on the plastic. Wrap the plastic over the garment and allow to sit for 6-8 hours (or longer depending on desired intensity of color).
Step 11: Wash garment, alone, in hot water with a small amount of laundry soap. Air or fluff dry.
Enjoy!
TIE DYE BEACH TOWEL DIY
Step 1: Start
out with a a plain white towel, washed and dried without fabric softener or dryer sheets. Roll the towel, then tightly wrap the rubber bands from the kit around to form several sections.
Step 2: Prepare your work area by spreading the Tulip Surface Cover. Put on the plastic gloves.
Step
3: Choose a color scheme. I chose the same dominant and accent colors as I used for the bathing suits. Start
by filling dye bottle of the accent color to the top with water.
Step
4: Use the nozzle of the dye bottle to saturate each of the rubber banded areas with the accent color.
Step
5: Next, fill the bottle of the dominant color 1/3 full of water. Use only half of the dye in the bottle to saturate the bottom edge of the towel.
Step 6: Using the pitcher of clean water, fill the dominant dye bottle to
the top with water. Saturate another row of color. You'll use about
half of the bottle.Continue refilling, dyeing a row, then refilling again to create progressively lighter bands of color.
Step
7: You can stop here, or for a more subtle blending of the accent
color, gently squeeze the towel, over the empty bucket, from the top
and working gently toward the bottom. This will allow the colors to
blend downward into one another.
Step 8: Use a rag or paper towels to clean the plastic work area. Lay the
finished piece back on the plastic. Wrap the plastic over the towel
and allow to sit for 6-8 hours (or longer depending on desired intensity
of color).
Step 9: Wash towel, alone, in hot water with a small amount of laundry soap. Air or fluff dry.
Enjoy!
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For more inspiration and ideas for a crafty summer, check out ILoveToCreate.com or keep up with the latest creative happenings on these social media channels:
I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with iLoveToCreate.com and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own
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