If you want to make professional looking tie dyes but you’ve never tried tie dye before - this is what you’re going to need:
Soda ash
this is a dye fixer used to change the pH of your fabric so the dye can bond with the fibers.
You’ll need 1 cup of soda ash + 1 gallon of warm water to soak your garments for 20 minutes and then wring them out as much as possible.
Soda ash is sold in 1lb bags, but I recommend buying the 5lb bag if you plan on doing more than a few tie dyes.
You can buy soda ash for 20% off from Jacquard with code ERICA: Jacquard Products — Jacquard Products - Chemicals - Soda Ash
Fiber Reactive/Procion Dyes
these are fiber reactive dyes that can be used for liquid dye or ice dye. 2oz jars are great for sampling a variety of colors without costing too much. If you’re doing a larger group of tie dyes, 8oz jars will go a long way.
Ice dye requires more dye powder than liquid dye.
TIP: the terms "procion dye" and "fiber reactive dye" are two names to describe the dye you'll need for tie dye.
Jacquard makes 2 different collections of Procion dye colors, use code ERICA for 20% off your order:
Jacquard Products — Procion MX - a full range of solid color dyes
Jacquard Products — Procion MX Ice Dyes - designed for ice dye because the colors split
This tie dye kit is a good option that contains enough procion dye & soda ash to get you started with ice dye or liquid dye
Dyeable items
If you want to tie dye, your items must be made of mostly cotton, rayon or bamboo (or any other natural fiber) I always look for at least 75% natural fibers for the best results but 95-100% natural is ideal). White/taupe/beige are the best options. Polyester WILL NOT DYE
Here are some of my tried & true favorite dyeable items
Protective gear
For tie dye (both liquid dye and ice dye) you'll need gloves and an N95 mask (or a respirator) because you’ll be dealing with powder particles that are dangerous to breathe in, and the dye will stain your skin.
Respirator mask (if you’re going to get serious and do this more than a couple of times)
Tying supplies
There’s a lot of options here but these are the 3 I have on hand plus a sinew puller to make tying with sinew easier.
Assorted rubber bands (this is the best option if you’re just starting out and want to keep it simple. By far the best option for kids)
Artificial Sinew you’ll need this for geodes and mandalas and other folds that require a wax resist (a sinew puller is also helpful if you go this route - linked below)
Kite string for holding scrunch pieces together. This is a little bit more advanced of a way to tie up a garment , but once you get the hang of it, it’s very useful and versatile
Extra items that you might also want depending on what type of tie dye you’re planning on doing..
Sinew Puller - this helps get a tight lock on the fabric, allowing for crisp lines
Squeeze bottles for liquid dye (I like these because they have measurements on the side which makes mixing easier)
Precision tip squeeze bottles - for ultra precise dye placement
Plastic bins for ice dye (can also be used for soda ash soak)
Wire racks for rack ice dyeing or for liquid dye (to keep the garment from sitting in a puddle of liquid)
Cake molds for rack ice dyeing (used to keep the ice on on top of the garment)
Reverse dyeing supplies
Out White Brite - You'll ned this to pull the color out of your garments
Propane Burner - You'll want to do this project outside because it has a very very intense smell, so I just use a propane burner in my driveway to boil my pot of water
Scissor Tongs - I love this pair because they are nice and long and the ends won't poke holes in your garments
Canning tongs - I like this pair because they can pick up bigger pieces easier
XL Stock pot - here's one you can order.. or if you want to spend less money on something you're only using for crafts - I recommend going to the thrift store and finding something there. I paid $9 for my pot at savers and it's a little smaller than I'd like but it still works fine
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