How To Tie-Dye In A Small Space
To paraphrase a quote from “Hamilton,” tie-dye isn’t a moment ― it’s a movement. The resurgent trend has made a strong showing the past few summers, but in 2020 particularly, as tie-dye enthusiasts have made the most of their time at home during the pandemic.
All over social media, people with gardens seem to have dyed their entire wardrobes with ease and a frustrating amount of fresh air. For city dwellers, tie-dyeing is a bit more complicated. But, as it turns out, very doable.
Marisa Morrison Stein has built a career out of crafting. The Neon Tea Party, which she started as a lifestyle blog in 2016, has grown into a mecca for all things artistic, including tutorials, a supply shop, and, this year, a four-week virtual crafting camp. Stein often shares these projects from her New York City apartment and fire escape, including, of course, tie-dye.
A post shared by The Neon Tea Party // Marisa (@theneonteaparty) on Apr 25, 2020 at 7:10pm PDT
Stein shared her tips with HuffPost for tie-dyeing in a small space ― no garden required.
Split up the job
Once you have your kit, tie-dyeing begins with choosing your pieces, wetting them and tying them up with rubber bands (Stein has an entire section on her website devoted to tutorials for different methods and styles).
“You can break up the process into the clean half and the messy half,” Stein said. “You need a flat surface for tying up your pieces, so I usually use my kitchen table or even coffee table to do that since it’s just wet fabric, and then I dye in the tub.”
Stein stressed that no matter the surface, it’s always important to cover your workspace with either a plastic tablecloth, a cut-open trash bag or a tarp.
Size matters
As a warning, tie-dyeing can be a bit addictive, but in a small space it’s important to remember what is and is not realistic. Things like shirts, pillowcases and sweats are great ― bedsheets may not be. “You need enough space to lay out...
