May 2006 Project of the Month Easy Tie-Dye for Kids By Amanda Formaro Watch your child's face light up when you remove that first rubber band from your tie-dyed t-shirt. It is truly amazing the designs that one can create with so few tools. Try these super easy tie-dyes for kids and see what ours were raving about! For the purposes of simplicity, we chose to use one color per garment, rather than multiple colors that are so often seen. You can also use colored garments and use a contrasting dye color to achieve the same results. You will need: various colors of fabric dye* rubber bands rubber gloves marbles tap water garments such as t-shirts, cotton shorts, old jeans, etc. *Rit Dye is usually available in the house-ware department of your local grocer or discount department store What you do: Begin by rubber-banding your garment according to the design you wish to achieve. See the pictures below followed by the method in which to reach that result. sunburst marble and several rubber bands circles marble and one rubber band lines rubber bands only Prepare dye according to package directions. Be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands! Dye can be just as damaging as bleach to your unprotected skin. Please take the proper safety precautions recommended. Once your garment is ready, place in the dye for at least 15-20 minutes. The longer the garment remains in the dye, the darker and deeper the color will become. Remove from the dye and rinse according to package directions, usually in cold running water. Ring out garment until water runs clear. Carefully remove rubber bands and marbles to reveal your new design! No design will be the same as another and different effects can be reached by combining the different methods mentioned above. See below for our results and be sure to have a good time! Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. While Amanda's professional background was originally in finance, she chose to stay home to raise her family after her third child was born. Amanda enjoys tole painting, crafting with her kids, walking her dogs and working on her website FamilyCorner.com Magazine. "This site started as a small personal website and has grown way beyond what I had ever imagined! It is such a passion for me. I love it when someone writes to me and tells me how much they enjoyed their visit." Amanda Formaro may be contacted at http://www.familycorner.com or webmom @ familycorner.com Do you have an idea for another Project of the Month for our Crafts for Kids Cubby? We'd love to hear from you. Email our moderators with your suggestions!