If you’re wanting to make the perfect summer project, look no further than this Rainbow Tie Dye bag! It’s perfect to take with you to the farmer’s market or the beach. And the best part is that you can make it in your favorite colors. Keep reading to learn how!
Typically when I work with dye, I take my item and submerge it fully in the dye. This project requires a bit of a different technique, and it’s one that I think is easier!
By adding your dye to squeeze bottles, you’ll be able to get more control of where it appears on your bag. There’s no guess work with how it will come out because you’ll be able to see the results in real time. It’s the perfect way to make a rainbow tie dye bag!
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What You’ll Need
– Cotton mesh bag (got mine from Ikea)
– Rit Dye (Michaels is cheaper than Amazon, but Amazon comes with gloves)
– Latex gloves
– Squeeze bottles
– Rubber bands
– Tray + cooling rack
You can use any style bag that you want for this project as long as it’s cotton. Rit All Purpose dye is for natural fibers, so if your item is synthetic, it won’t take as vibrantly.
How to Rainbow Tie Dye
1. Prep your materials! Place the cooling rack on the pan and lay your bag on top. Mix your dye according to the instructions (I did this directly in the squeeze bottles).
2. Start by banding your bag into equal sections. Each section will be a new color.
3. Run the bag under cool water until wet, then squeeze out excess water.
4. Apply your color dye to each section. Excess dye will drip through on the pan. I worked in rainbow order with red in place of pink.
5. Once the entire bag is covered, flip over and repeat the process on the back so that there is no white of the bag i showing.
6. Place flat in a plastic bag (so no parts of the color are touching one another). Let sit overnight. Remove rubber bands and rinse in cool water until the water is clear.
Rainbow Tie Dye Tips
- If you want more white in between each section, just use more rubber bands.
- Colors might blend into one another. My yellow bled into the blue and created a small line of green.
- Don’t skip the step of letting the dye sit overnight. This will help the colors from bleeding fully into one another!
Related Project: Dye Dyed Lampshade
Overall it was a fun project to try! I’ve never applied dye with a squeeze bottle before, so I’m excited to play around with that method a little more and see what other results I could come up with. Doesn’t a rainbow tie dye dress sound like something I should add to my wardrobe?!
Variations
- Try a monochrome look (one color in different shades)
- Rubber band in a different way for different color placements
- Mix colors that create other colors for example: yellow and blue will make green!
- Dye a small section of the bag for a subtle pop of color.
Would love to know if you’ve also tried this method of applying dye and what fun things you’ve come up with. Be sure to check out the DIYS in my archives if you’re looking for other Dye Projects!
