Crafterateur

Whoa whoa whoa, this is so creative! When Pretty Life Girls hosted a free dye virtual workshop with Michaels, I was all over it! I’ve dabbled in dyeing with natural dyes including indigo, and created some ice dyeing projects, but never created purposeful shapes in my dye projects. Let’s make tie dye pumpkins!

Gather:

• Tulip dye kit (comes with dye, a bottle, rubber bands, gloves, instructions)
• Water
• Fabric (I went with a table runner and some canvas pouches)
• Tray
• Splash mat or tarp (or work on surface you’re ok with getting messy)
• Fabric markers, black and green

Prep:

• Prep your material by giving them a wash in natural detergent. You can continue onward with dry or wet material.
• Prep the dye. This was my first time using the Tulip brand dye kits. They make the tie dye process so simple and clean up is the easiest ever. I’m now a big fan. The bottle in the kit comes prefilled with dye powder; just add water!

Tie method:

• To make pumpkin shapes we used the pinch and tie technique where you pinch what would be the center of your pumpkin then tie a rubber band somewhere beyond where you pinched.
• If you want a small pumpkin, maybe you tie your rubber band an inch from where you pinched; a large pumpkin maybe four inches away.
• Repeat this step wherever you want a pumpkin to appear. Make sure to tie really tight for the best resist and more contrast.
• If you’re dyeing something with more than one layer (e.g., a shirt or a bag) you can either pinch the layers together or tie one layer at a time.

Dye method:

• Once you’ve tied all your future pumpkins, you’re ready for dye. Place your projects in a container. In general I’d dye my projects separately but since I’m just using one color for all the projects here it’s ok for them to be in the same container.
• Squirt dye all over. The fabric doesn’t need to be drenched but do focus on getting enough dye on the bunched sections of fabric.
• Place your projects in a plastic bag to marinate for 24 hours.

The reveal:

• Remove the rubber bands. You can save them for your next project or cut them off.
• Rinse your projects in cool water until the water runs clear.
• Stop to admire your work!
• At this point I toss all my projects in the wash for one last good rinse.
• Air dry or use a dryer to dry the fabric completely.
• Then, add the finishing touches. Draw on your jack-o-lantern faces and stems with fabric markers. Ensure you protect your drawing surface, too. Ayyy, so cute.

Once you realize you can add fabric marker to create designs your mind goes all over the place — you can create ornament designs, wreaths, Easter eggs, emojis, snowmen, …stahp.

Thank you to Pretty Life Girls for sharing this clever tie dye technique with the world!

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