Eco-friendly tie-dye recommendations for party
Hello! I am thinking of having a tie-dye activity for a 6yo birthday party at a park by the bay. I am concerned about doing a tie-dye party with all the chemicals involved, clean up, etc. I don't know anything about tie-dye (my 6yo was requesting this)- has anyone tried this, could recommend eco-friendly products, give tips on how to do a proper clean-up (what/where not to dump)? I have googled 'eco-friendly tie dye', but short of making my own dyes out of pomegranate juice which would now be well out-of-scope, I'd just like to know if people do these things nowadays and how. Thanks!
Mar 6, 2023
Parent Replies
I don't have a specific dye to recommend, but having done tie-dye with kids I'd highly recommend using the squirt bottle method (https://www.ritdye.com/techniques/tie-dye/squirt-bottle-technique/) - that way you don't have big tubs of dye to clean up (or spill!), and it's less messy overall and takes less dye. Rit specifies that their dyes are non-toxic and safe for sewer systems (https://www.ritdye.com/faqs/products-and-purchase/) - I think that might be the best you'll get with dye that's still colorfast and not homemade. But hopefully someone has an amazing eco-friendly option I haven't seen yet!
Tie dyeing with kids is a wonderful activity!
The “riskiest” part is the initial soda ash soak (slightly caustic to the skin); you could have the kids wear gloves through the process (which you will want them to do anyway so they don’t stain their hands). Easiest may be for you to do the soda ash soak yourself and wring as much water out as possible (over the soda ash bin; you can reuse it).
Let the kids tie their shirts according to the design they want - spiral, scrunch, stripes, then let them have at it with the dyes in colors they choose. Trick is to get enough dye for color saturation (tie dye shirts that are mostly white just don’t look good), but not so much that they muddy everything up.
There are PLENTY of tie dye tutorials on YouTube - watch a few to get the hang of it. Cover the work surfaces with plastic, and have them wear little aprons. I did this with a group of 5 year olds and it was an extremely popular activity.
Buy a group tie dye kit from Dharma Trading Company - Procion dyes (not Tulip) are the way to go. You can mix colors yourself to get more shades. Dharma will be very helpful if you have any questions - their customer service is outstanding. Get some Synthrapol and tiny plastic covered cups so they can each bring some home to wash their shirts in. Have them leave the shirts covered in a plastic bag after dyeing for at LEAST 24 hours; 48 is better. Instruct the parents to rinse them really well until the (cold) water is running almost clear, then wash in hot water with the Synthrapol (alone). They will likely need to wash separately a time or two after that as well.
You and the kids will LOVE it. Yes, it can be a bit messy, but so rewarding! Have fun!
You might talk to the folks at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland. They specialize in natural dyeing and are a friendly staff. The owner has written two beautiful books on natural dyeing. They are only open Saturdays for in store shopping. Also, depending how set your child is on tie-dye, maybe also look into eco printing. It's a beautiful effect and very easy - they can help you with that too! Lastly, you can also check out dharma trading co for supplies. They have lots of white clothing, bags ect and dye products, but Less on the eco friendly side.
My daughter’s Girl Scout troop did a tie-dye project a couple of years ago, and I was quite frankly shocked by how much water is required and wasted in the process. I would gently steer your son towards another project.
PS I responded yesterday but forgot one important thing - have the kids write their names or initials in their shirt tags with permanent marker - once they’re doing the activity it’s very easy to get them mixed up, and you really can’t tell them apart once they’re dyed.