Tie-Dye Apron

How to Make

Before you start:
1. Rinse the apron then squeeze out most of the water until it is damp.

   Place the polythene sheet from the kit over your work surface. Place the apron flat on top with the ties pulled out at the sides.

To make pattern with lines:
(blue apron)

2. Fold the apron vertically in half, checking the outer edges match up without any creases or wrinkles. Fold the apron again, so the top edge meets the bottom, making the fabric area approximately 22cm x 35cm. Pull the apron ties away from the sides each time you fold it over.
   To pleat the fabric, fold up the shorter edge by 3-4cm. Turn the apron over then make another fold. Turn the apron back over and repeat to make 4 or 5 more folds in the same way, making a concertina.

   Tightly wrap 3 or 4 elastic bands around the folded apron. Each elastic band needs to be wrapped 4 or 5 times around the fabric.

To make a blended rainbow pattern:

3. Fold the apron vertically in half, then over in half again to make a folded strip approximately 11cm wide.
   Hold the pleats together then twist the strip around a cardboard tube covered with a plastic bag.
   Wrap an elastic band around one end of the fabric to hold it in place on the tube then wrap more bands at intervals along the twisted fabric. Trimming the tube to the length of the fabric makes it easier to attach the bands.

To dye the apron:

4. Wear the disposable gloves in the kit then follow the instructions for adding water to the dye bottle and applying it onto the fabric.
   Squeeze the dye over the apron. Press and roll the bag to make sure the dye covers the fabric.
   For rainbow colours, lift the fabric after applying each colour to mop away any pools of dye on your work surface to keep it as clean as possible.
   Press and roll the bag to make sure the dye covers the fabric.

   Leave the apron to dry for 6-8 hours hanging over a bowl with newspaper or paper towel underneath.
   Remove all the elastic bands (with gloves on) then open out the apron. If it still feels very wet, remove any excess dye with paper towel or leave it to dry for a bit longer.

   Rinse the apron in water then leave it to fully dry. Cover it with a pressing cloth before ironing out the creases.

Top Tip

To make a blended rainbow coloured pattern without the original fabric colour showing through as white areas, wrap the elastic bands around the fabric to hold the pleats firmly in place shape but not too tightly. This allows some dye to spread under the elastic along the pleats without any of the original fabric colour showing through.