Tie and dye: Introduce your child to this fun DIY

Tie and dye or bandhni designs are very popular in India. We see them on garments, upholstery, bags and a number of accessories. Given its popularity, tie and dye projects were introduced in school as part of extracurricular activities or part of the art and crafts syllabus. Bandhni makes a safe and fun DIY project to try at home, and results in a usable product that will make your child happy.  We will look at tie and dye basics today, using normal packaged dyes as available in the market.  

What will be needed  
Here is a quick list of what your child needs to start the first tie and dye project at home:  

• The first thing is to procure the dyes, of course. Try get as many colours as your child fancies. Natural dyes are on the rise in India. If you are shopping online, search for ‘organic dye’ 
• You will need lots of rubber bands, so buy a packet 
• Buy kitchen rubber gloves  
• Get together pebbles, marbles or any small round object you want to use in tying 
• Select the garment you want to dye. We suggest giving your kid faded but sturdy cotton clothes to start with. The garment should be washed, dried and ironed 

How you will go about it 
And here is a step by step guide for you to instruct and help your kids with. We have left the slightly more difficult parts for you the first time.  

Tying: Begin by telling the kids to tie the rubber bands according to the design they want: sunburst, lines, circles, patterns.  

Mixing the die: Once they are done with tying, mix the dye. Please note, most dyes do not retain their full dying strength beyond one hour after mixing. So mix it only when your child is done with tying. Warm water is not good for mixing dyes, avoid it. Prepare the dye according to package instructions the first time, asking the kids to watch. They can try it once you have set an example.  
Precautions: Don’t forget to wear gloves. Dye can be as damaging as bleach, especially for children’s skin.  Tying: Begin by telling the kids to tie the rubber bands according to the design they want: sunburst, lines, circles, patterns.  

Mixing the die: Once they are done with tying, mix the dye. Please note, most dyes do not retain their full dying strength beyond one hour after mixing. So mix it only when your child is done with tying. Warm water is not good for mixing dyes, avoid it. Prepare the dye according to package instructions the first time, asking the kids to watch. They can try it once you have set an example.  
Precautions: Don’t forget to wear gloves. Dye can be as damaging as bleach, especially for children’s skin.  

What can you do with tie and dye  
Apart from t-shirts, try tie and dye DIY projects on bags, table cloth, bed sheets, pillow cases, refrigerator covers, cushion covers and curtains. Tie and dye is an inexpensive and fun DIY project to transform your home into a happier, more colourful place that will make your child proud of his or her artistic skills.