The Best Tie-Dye Kits: Unleash Your Inner Hippie Without Making a Huge Mess

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Let me preface this article by mentioning that though I am no hippie (too goth/emo in high school for that), I am a diehard crafter so long as no one expects me to knit or crochet. Tie-dying was one of the first crafts I ever really got into, and back then, tie-dye kits weren't what they are today. It was very much a DIY situation.

At the summer sleepaway camp where I fell in love with the art, it was Rit dye in rinsed-out ketchup and mustard bottles dubiously labeled with masking tape, rubber bands stolen from newspapers, and the T-shirts and shorts we brought to camp with us. Now? Tie-dye kits have everything you need save for the material you're dying. But where do you begin?

The Best Tie-Dye Kits

• Best Overall: One-Step Tie-Dye Kit Extra Large Block Party

• For Galaxy-Print Lovers: S.E.I. Galaxy Tie-Dye Kit

• Best Big Kit with Storage Box: Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit 15 Color Kit with Storage Tub

• Best Reverse Dye Kit: Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit

• Best Color Spray: S·E·I Cotton Candy Tie-Dye Kit, Fabric Dye Spray, 3 Colors

The Basics

Tie dying is actually dead simple. My husband is the least crafty person on this planet, but even he can tie-dye some pretty impressive designs. There are a few steps that you need to consider:

Gather Your Materials

Get your kit, your T-shirt or whatever else you’re dying — natural fibers work best, but natural fiber blends also work. You’ll also want a plastic shower curtain and drop cloth to dye on if you're not doing it outside, as well as plastic bins for each dye set.

Prewash Your Fabrics

I know you think it's clean, but give it a prewash anyway. Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets. If it's white, use Borax and do a double rinse. I have been dying for a very long time, and this has given me the best results. If the tie-dye kit says to have the fabrics damp, give them a good soak and twist out the excess water.

Get the Dye Ready

Prepare the squeeze bottles of dye according to the instructions in the kit. Do not do this more than an hour or more before you’re dying the fabrics because it’s just begging to get spilled at that point. Also, make sure that the dye is fully dissolved or you’ll get specks on your fabric.

Fold Your Fabric and Apply the Dye

I like using a pattern to fold the fabric into something interesting, but you can freestyle it if you want. Just know that how you fold the fabric has a huge impact on how the finished product will look. Some crafters, like my daughter, like to use alternative dye bottles to apply the dye like spray bottles, and that can be cool, too, especially if you’re reverse-dying with bleach. But don’t apply the dye until you have the fabric laid out how you want. Apply the dye inside of a bin, rinsing the bin between colors. Put the bin on top of the aforementioned shower curtain on top of a drop cloth. Dyes are so messy.

Leave It!

Forget about it for at least 8 hours, but as long as overnight. Pretend it doesn’t exist, but put it somewhere your cats and toddlers can’t reach.

Rinse

Rinse that material like you're trying to wash away the shame of a bad post-breakup self-administered haircut. Then wash, dry, and wear. At this point, it is what it is. However, if it turns out truly unforgivable, you can always reverse dye it with bleach.

How I Chose

Every kit on here is one I have used personally, and would use again. They are easy to understand, they don’t require that you buy a bunch of additional stuff, and the pigments are rich and don’t fade easily. I have dyed everything from T-shirts to upholstery to wedding gowns for divorce parties with these kits, and they’re fantastic. This list is shorter than some of my others, and that’s because it’s kind of a niche field, and since it’s so important to me, I am only recommending what I personally buy.

One-Step Tie-Dye Kit Extra Large Block Party

When you're starting out, a basic, big, easy-to-use kit is just what you want. This has six vibrant colors of dye, rubber bands, and gloves included. You just add water, wrap the fabric, apply the dye, and let it sit.

Tulip's colors are colorfast and inexpensive, and with this kit you can do at least six T-shirts, but if you're more experienced, you can do more.

More: 60 Gifts for Her She'll Actually Wear

Galaxy Tie-Dye Kit, Fabric Spray Dye, 8 Colors

My daughter’s new favorite kit, the tie-dye spray galaxy kit from S.E.I. It’s pre-mixed and ready to go. All that you have to do is shake it up and spray. It has colors that are so popular right now, with galaxy still such a popular pattern. Yes, it’s a bit messy, but once you’re set up for it, it’s stunning.

One-Step Tie-Dye Kit 15-Color Kit with Storage Tub

Just like the Best Overall pick, but with more colors and a convenient storage tub. Personally, I like to mix the dyes and then leave them right there in the tub where they won't be knocked over.

I adore the turquoise and purple in this kit, and used it to dye muslin swaddle blankets for my friend whose nursery fit that palette. Pro tip! Tie-dye onesies and blankets that are stained and you think can't be saved.

Celestial Kit

I totally get if you aren’t ready for dye spray, or you want a more traditional style pattern, but you are still very much into the galaxy and celestial palette. Tulip comes in hot with this kit. It is an add-water only kit with gloves and rubber bands. And again, blown away by the turquoise in this kit. It’s gorgeous.

One-Step Tie-Dye Kit

Reverse tie-dye is the easiest tie-dye you'll ever do. It creates negative space on dark fabrics or even other tie-dye fabrics. This kit contains bottles of color remover, rubber bands, gloves, and a project guide. Bring life back to faded materials or just have fun experimenting.

Cotton Candy Tie-Dye Kit (3 Colors)

My personal favorite spray kit because it's pink and purple and turquoise... and it is a cinch. Shake it up, spray it wherever, and you're done. I used this kit to spray curtains in a kids’ room, and I instantly became the favorite auntie of those twin girls.

One-Step 5-Color Tie-Dye Kits in Neon

Neon colors are my personal worst-nightmare, but kids love them. This kit is so neon that some of the colors glow under blacklight. It’s almost offensive to my eyes, but the kit is simple like all of their other kits, the colors are just as pigmented, and they stay on the fabrics. Are they ugly? I think so. My kids? Do not.

Big Cotton Boy's T-Shirt (7-Pack)

Not only are these my favorite shirts to dye because they take color so well, and they’re soft and tagless, but they’re also one of the most economical choices. For myself, I get the X-Large in boys. For my kids, I go for the mediums and smalls.

Organic Cotton White Swaddle Blanket for Newborn

Muslin takes dye like an absolute dream. However, it is so thin, I prefer to soak it first, even if the dyes don’t mention pre-soaking. This is my favorite brand for dying, and the sky is the limit for styles.

For my friend, I did a Star of David pattern for one of the blankets (it was a bris gift), and everyone was shocked that you could do that.

100-Percent Cotton Duvet Cover Set

Imagine the shenanigans you could get up to dying this duvet cover and shams! You could ostensibly do multiple patterns on the same duvet! You could even separate the top and bottom via rubber bands and do a two-sided set! I can feel a new project happening as I type this.

DIY Canvas Backpack

Can't find the perfect kids' backpack? You can make one. This backpack is surprisingly sturdy and designed for DIY. Tie-dye the heck out of it, add some really fun patches and pins, and maybe even some embroidery, and your kid is ready for the first day of school in style. I can also see this as a fun thing for a soccer team to do together!

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