If you’re looking for a way to add some color to your summer, a tie dye party is the way to go!
This spring we hosted a virtual tie dye birthday party. (again, a huge thanks to my daughter’s friends’ parents for being so cool about the potential impending mess) Since everyone was going to be doing this at their own homes and signing in to the party on Zoom, we wanted to make it as simple and mess-free as possible.
Pick a Tie Dye Kit
After a lot of research, we ended up choosing the Tulip Two-Minute Tie-Dye Kit. Tulip seems to be a well known tie dye brand and “two-minutes” seemed perfect for first graders.
We bought a small kit to try at home to make sure it:
- wasn’t too messy,
- was easy enough for six and seven year olds to do pretty independently,
- and didn’t end up bleeding onto our furniture after it was washed and dried.
This kit was all of those things and more. One of the biggest benefits of the Tulip Two-Minute Tie Dye Kit is that the tie dye is ready to wear pretty quickly. When I was a kid, we’d make tie dye shirts at summer camp and they’d be done soaking and ready to wear by the end of the week. With this quick kit, you “cook” the tie dye in the microwave, rinse it, and then wash and dry it and it’s ready to wear the same day you made it.
The nearly instant results was perfect for first graders. During the tie dye party they each took turns showing their rinsed shirts. Some of the girls even texted photos throughout the afternoon as their shirts were washed and ready to wear.
Tie Dye Party Decorations
It turns out that decorating for a tie dye party is pretty easy. There are tons of pre-made options available and the sky is the limit if you want to DIY your own creations.
My daughter wanted a tie dye cake. We used this box mix, but you could add food coloring to any light colored cake batter and achieve the same result.
We also ordered tie dye decorations – tablecloth, plates, napkins, and cups. We used tie dye balloons to make a groovy birthday party arch – this was perfect for a Zoom background.
Tie Dye Party Supplies
Whether you’re hosting a virtual tie dye party or you’re having this fun in your backyard, there are some supplies you’ll definitely want to have ready for each of your guests:
- 100% cotton fabric, pre-washed
- Waterproof table coverings
- Easy to use tie dye kit
- Gloves
- Aprons
- Paper towel
Since this was most of the kids’ first experience making tie dye, we included some information in their party bags. The tie dye technique page served as a quick reference to four of the easy methods. We included a sample picture as well as three simple steps to prepare their shirts. I also included a detailed step-by-step instruction page. This was helpful if anyone was working faster or slower than the rest of the group. I used the instructions from the tie dye kit, but typed it myself and added stop signs when the kids should get an adult to help.
Party Favors
My daughter’s favorite part of planning her birthday party is picking out themed-favors. For the tie dye party, she included:
- Things to tie dye: tote bag, t-shirt, mask, headband, scrunchie
- A tie dye balloon on a stick
- DIY tie dye braided necklaces
- DIY personalized tie dye bookmarks
- Tie dye fruit roll ups
- Betty Crocker Mug Treats – rainbow chip (“tie dye”)
The girls enjoyed making and decorating their mug cakes while their first round of tie dye cooled. It was fun to be able to eat cake together even though they weren’t in the same place.
Overall, the tie dye party was a big success. Zoom tie dye was a little bit of chaos, but overall the smiles and laughter made it absolutely worth it.
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