Red, White, Blue...and Tie-Dye Too! {A Simple 4th of July Craft}

Do you ever look at all the cute holiday themed children's tees around the blog world and Pinterest and wish that you could do something cute for your children each holiday, but find that many of those options are too pricey. Of course, there are many do it yourself options as well, but perhaps you're not crafty enough to pull them off. Believe me, I'm right there with you. I love crafty things but the talent...well, it's lacking! Still, I love having fun festive outfits for my kiddos, so this year for the 4th of July I decided to do a super simple tie dye!

Personally, I love tie dye for a few reasons. First of all, it's incredibly easy! Again, I'm not very crafty at all, but there really is nothing to it...and if you buy a kit, the directions and everything you need are all right there! As I said, easy! It is also fairly inexpensive. You can purchase plain white tees at your local craft stores for just a few dollars each, or save even more by checking thrift stores or yard sales. Finally, my favorite part of tie dye is that is is FUN! It's a great project that I could do with my son that we could both enjoy!! We could not wait to get started. Since these were for the 4th of July, we went for red, white and blue. We were even lucky enough to find a set with just those colors! Perfect!

The great thing about buying a kit is that it makes it even easier. Here's a brief look at how to create your own super fun tie dye designs:

Supplies:

• T-Shirts
• Tie Dye Kit (includes dye, bottles, rubber bands, gloves)
• Additional Rubber Bands (optional)
• Extra gloves (if needed- the kits typically include 2 sets)
• Plastic Wrap

1. Get your work space ready. Tie dying is MESSY!! Be sure to line your workspace with newspaper or use another protective surface before getting started. We prefer to work outside, just in case, and used an old box for our own work space. Make sure you have all supplies handy before starting so you don't track dye everywhere!
2. Prepare the dye. These kits are super easy, all you have to do is add water and you're ready to go!
3. Next up, choose your design. We personally went with the bulls eye design. It's super simple, but still visually appealing. All you have to do is gather in the center, and keep adding rubber bands to your desired width apart. I've found that the kits don't generally come with enough rubber bands to get the look we desire, so buying extra is a good idea. Of course there are many other fun designs you can try...your instructions will give you several options to try!
4.Now, apply the dye. (Don't forget your gloves!) This part is obviously key. You want to make sure that the dye is absorbing into the fabric, but you don't want to over-saturate and cause bleeding either. Finley's tee did not absorb nearly as well, I am not sure if this is because it was a different brand or because mine and Shaun's were prewashed- next time we will wash ALL and see if that makes the difference. (Note: Do NOT use fabric softener when prewashing, it will affect the absorbency.)
5. Once the dye is to your liking, wrap your tee in plastic wrap and let sit for 6-8 hours or longer. The longer you leave the dye on, the more vivid your tees will be. We left ours out overnight for bright, vibrant colors.

Waiting is the hardest part!

6. Rinse off excess dye and remove rubber bands. This is where those extra gloves come in. Silly me forgot to save mine and had to rinse barehanded! My hands were blue for a few days following...oops! Rinse until the water runs clear.
7. Wash per directions.

That's it! After your tees are washed and dried, they're ready to wear! See how simple and fun these are? Of course you can make them even more unique with iron on designs or iron on letters...the possibilities are endless!

My son and I had a great time creating these fun tees and cannot wait to wear them on the 4th of July! They are the perfect way to show off our patriotism...and look cute doing so!

And we look forward to creating fun designs for all upcoming holidays...orange and purple for Halloween? Red and green for Christmas? Perhaps a blue and purple Frozen inspired look? What fun events would you like to create custom tees for YOUR children for?