Our best tips and ideas for how to throw an unforgettable tie dye party for kids and adults, alike!

Today we’re sharing all of our expert tie dye party tips and ideas with you, from decorations to clean-up and everything in between! If you’re hosting a kids’ birthday party, a baby shower, a family gathering, or simply a colourful crafternoon with friends, this post is here to help!

TIE DYE SUPPLIES

This one is easy! Simply order one of our Superfun Tie Dye Party packs, they have everything you need from t-shirts to dyes, a table cloth, calico bags, rubberbands and more! 

Plus every Superfun Tie Dye Party Pack has a special FREE gift the birthday boy or girl!😍😍

Order your pack here - https://charlieboots.com.au/products/superfun-tie-dye-party-pack-for-8-kids

Other items you will need, most of these you already have!

• Sharpie marker for labelling tie dye bags
• Party bags to take tie dye home
• Buckets or large bowls of water for dampening items
• Paper towels for cleaning
• Deep-sided aluminium baking pans for tie dyeing with young children
• Small containers or bowls for rubber bands
• Plastic tarp & masking tape, if tie dyeing indoors

WHERE TO HOST YOUR TIE DYE PARTY

Setting up your tie dye party in the right space is half the battle of a stress-free tie dye party. Whether you tie dye outdoors or indoors, at your home or in a public space, depends on a few factors including the time of year, weather report, and available mess-friendly space.

The key things to consider when choosing your space are: ease of clean up (i.e. no carpeting or fancy furniture that could get stained from dye) and access to a water source for both filling water and dumping dirty dye buckets.

There are great options for all circumstances, so you can truly throw a tie dye party any time of year!

Here are our recommended places to set up your tie dye party:

Outdoors

• Lawn, either backyard or front yard, or at a public space like a park
• Patio
• Driveway

Indoors – Home

• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Playroom
• Garage

HOW TO SET UP

General Prep:

• Set up a table in an area in which you feel comfortable tie dyeing, keeping in mind that dye can drip or splash. (Also keep in mind that dye could accidentally leak through the tablecloth should it tear, so choose your table accordingly!)
• Cover the table(s) with a plastic tablecloth.
• If tie dyeing indoors, cover the floor with a plastic tarp. Hold down the tarp by taping along the edges with masking tape. For more tips on setting up tie dye indoors.
• Fill your dye bottles in advance so your guests can dive right in! (Or they can help fill bottles once it’s time to dye!) To make your dye, pour a packet of dye powder into each 4oz bottle, add water and shake well until all dye powder sitting at the bottom has dissolved. Be sure to do this while wearing gloves! 
• Put rubber bands into small containers or bowls for easy grabbing while dyeing.
• Fill a bucket or large bowl of water for every 3-4 people and place on the tie dye table or another nearby surface.

“Clean Phase” vs “Messy Phase”

We recommend breaking up the tie dyeing process into two phases: The Clean (or Water) Phase and the Messy (or Dye) Phase. In other words, you can plan to dampen and tie all items first, and then move onto dyeing everything. This ensures that you can prep all your items for dyeing without errant dye on your work surface.

To set up for the Clean Phase and the Messy Phase, you can either:

1. Set up two tables, or
2. Use the same table and simply swap out supplies between phases

Here’s what you’ll need for each setup:

Clean Phase:

• At each guest’s place, put out a set of each of the dyeable items
• In the center of the table, set out water buckets and small containers of rubber bands
• If you’re providing instructions guides, make sure those are handy!

Messy Phase:

• At each guest’s place, set out tie dye racks or two sheets of paper towels layered on top of one another, plus a set of protective gear (gloves and apron). If you’re tie dyeing with kiddos, you can set out deep-sided aluminium baking pans that the kiddos can dye in. The walls of the pans will help catch dye splashes. Line them with paper towel for further dye containment!
• In the centre of the table, set out all dye bottles (feel free to remove caps in advance and store them somewhere safe!) and extra rolls of paper towels.
• Nearby, put out ziplock bags for their dyed items and the Sharpie marker for guests to write their names on the bags.
• We also recommend having a garbage can or trash bag nearby to dispose of dye-soaked paper towels and other tie dye trash.

TIE DYE INSTRUCTIONS

We’ve got you covered here in our How to Tie Dye a T-Shirt blog post!

Plus there's plenty of instructions in the tie dye kit included in your Party Pack! The good thing is you can't really go wrong with tie dye because it's all about getting colourful in which ever way you choose!

CLEAN UP TIPS

Tie Dyeing can be messy business. Follow these tips to keep your party tidy and make clean-up a breeze!

• Start by clearing away any garbage such as dye-covered paper towels and used gloves.
• If using tie dye racks, carefully dump out dye into water buckets or down a nearby drain.
• Rinse out empty/near-empty dye bottles in a designated tie dye sink, preferably a utility or bathroom sink. (We recommend avoiding kitchen sinks if possible to prevent dye from getting on dishes & the like.) Leftover dye remains at full vibrancy for up to 72 hours, then some colours begin to fade (yellow, orange) or split (red, black) so try to use it up as soon as possible!
• Thoroughly wipe down your tablecloth so that you can use it again.
• Should dye have splashed onto any unwanted surfaces, use a bleach-based cleaner to remove it. Any dye on skin will disappear in 1-2 showers.
  
  

You are now armed and ready to host an epic Tie Dye Party!! Should you need any additional help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@charlieboots.com.au!

Be sure to post your party photos on Instagram and tag us @CharlieBootsau! We can’t wait to see what you and your birthday buddies create!