Tie Dye

Tie dye is a way of patterning fabric by folding, twisting or scrunching it, binding it tightly with string or elastic bands, then adding dye. The bound parts resist the dye, so when you untie it, bold shapes and swirls appear. It's quick to learn, endlessly surprising and you get to wear the results.

It's also far older than the 1960s. Japanese shibori and Indian bandhani are centuries-old resist dyeing traditions, and plenty of cultures have their own versions. The psychedelic swirls just gave it a very memorable rebrand.

The spiral: pinch the centre, twist the fabric into a flat coil, bind it into wedges and give each wedge its own colour. Instant festival classic.

The bullseye: pull the fabric up into a cone from one point and bind it at intervals for rings of colour radiating out.

The crumple, or scrunch: ball it up, bind it, dye it. The laziest technique with some of the best results. We respect that.

Stripes and accordion folds: pleat the fabric back and forth like a fan, then bind across it for bold bands. Folding it on the diagonal gives you chevrons.

Your Activity Leader walks you through the folds and binds, you choose a pattern and pick your colours. The dye goes on a bit at a time from squeezy bottles, and gloves stay on unless you fancy technicolour hands for the rest of the day. Then it's the big reveal: unbinding, rinsing and admiring your handiwork. Give your piece a proper rinse and a solo wash when you get home.

Good news: there's no such thing as a bad tie dye. Every piece comes out different, happy accidents are part of the look and you'll walk away with something wearable and totally yours. Fair warning, once you've done one you'll start eyeing up every plain white t-shirt you own.

Something made from cotton or another natural fibre: a t-shirt, vest, pillowcase or tote bag. The higher the cotton content, the brighter the colours, while polyester and other synthetics barely take the dye. Pre-washed white or pale items work best. Wear old clothes too, because dye stains and it doesn't negotiate.

You might also like Shibori Tie Dye, Screen Printing and Hapa Zome.

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