Tie Dye art is one of those art projects that anyone can do, and that almost always produces beautiful results. We'll be tie dyeing some simple and inexpensive cloth bags. The materials used, in addition to bags and table coverings, are disposable gloves, aprons, elastic bands, and RIT fabric dye. The dye was transferred to squirt bottles to make it easy to apply. RIT dye stains clothing, skin and the floor; care is needed. Experiment first to make sure you can clean the inevitable drips off the floor. The bags are prepared in advance in two different styles. One style is an accordian fold, producing a rectangular shape tied with about four elastic bands. Another style is to take one of these rectangular accordion-folded shapes and roll it into a circle, securing it with more elastics. The first step is to wet the tied cloth bags enough to dampen but not soak them. Then you can start applying the dye. Here are some suggestions: For the rectangular shapes, try applying a different colour to each segment (as defined by where you placed the elastics). You can try dyeing opposite sides different colours. Be creative! Don't put too much (or any) dye between the folds. You want some undyed areas. Dye the circle shapes as if they are pizzas, making each 'slice' a different colour. Soaking the fabric with dye is OK as long as the elastics are tight; it will make the colours more vibrant. Just make sure the colours don't bleed too much into the folds. Soak up any extra dye on the table with an extra bag. It will look great too! Leave the elastics on, and put the bags away for 24 hours. Then undo them and wash them thoroughly in cold water, and hang to dry. Iron them if you want. Results Art Lessons | Main Page Lesson and instructing by the incredible Kayla Photography, HTML, graphics & design by Bill Willis 2023