How to Make a Tye‐Dyed Towel

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 20, 2023 Tested

Tye-dye towels are fun and unique accessories to bring to the beach or use in your day to day life. You'll need some white towels, as well as a tye-dye kit from a craft store. It's best to wear old clothes and work outdoors due to the mess. With a little time and care, you can make a fun tye-dye towel of your own.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Tying Your Towel

1
Wash your towel in cold water. Use a white towel. You can run the towel through a washing machine if it has not been washed in a while. However, simply run clean towels under cool water in the sink.^{[1]
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- It's not necessary to use detergent when washing your towel for dyeing.
2
Wring out your towel until it's damp. After washing the towel, do not place it in a dryer. Instead, use your hands to wring out excess water. The towel should be damp during the dyeing process.

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3
Tie your towel up using rubber bands. If you're using a dye kit, it probably came with small rubber bands for tying the towel. However, if you don't have a kit, you can use regular rubber bands. Wrap the rubber bands around the towel so it's tied into many knots.
- Have fun and be creative. How much you tie the towel is up to you. More knots and twists will add more complexity to your tie-dye color scheme.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Adding Your Colors

1
Put on gloves and old clothes. Wear plastic gloves when working with dye. Not only can dye get messy, it can also cause a bad reaction if you get it directly on your skin. You should also wear old clothes when dyeing your towels.^{[2]
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2
Mix your dye according to package instructions. Your dye should come with instructions for mixing, which vary greatly depending on the type of kit you're using. Most dye is diluted with water in a small tub or container. With some kits, the dye may be pre-mixed and you'll just need to transfer it to bottles.^{[3]
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3
Transfer your dye to spray bottles. If your kit doesn't come with spray bottles, you can buy them at most department or craft stores. Transfer your dye to the bottles. Put each different color of dye in a separate bottle.^{[4]
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4
Saturate your towel with a variety of dyes. Place your towel in a bucket or on a tarp on the ground. Squirt the dye onto the towel, using many different colors to create a fun, unique design. Keep spraying the towel until it's completely saturated with dye.
5
Let the dye sit overnight. Place the towel somewhere safe where it will not be disturbed, such as a cupboard in your home. Let it sit overnight with the rubber bands in place. This allows the dye to set.
- Wrap the towel in plastic wrap before storing it. This prevents the colors from making a mess.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Washing and Drying Your Towel

1
Rinse the towel in cold water. Hand wash your towel in the sink, using cold water. Keep running the towel under cold water, squeezing it on occasion, until dye stops running off the towel. It is not necessary to use detergent.^{[5]
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2
Wash your towel in a washing machine. After rinsing off the towel, place it in the washing machine. Run it through the shortest wash cycle offered, using cold water.^{[6]
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3
Lay your towel out to dry. Lay down a tarp or something similar on a floor in your home where the towel will not be disturbed. Lay the towel flat on the tarp and leave it there until it dries. Drying times will vary, but most towels should be dry within 24 hours.^{[7]
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