Growing up, the best arts and crafts days at camp were the ones during which we got to make our own groovy tie-dye shirts and let our individualities shine. While I always loved the creativity and the freedom the classic craft project provided, I had an uncanny ability to always stain my hands (and the white fabric) with unwanted and excess color every time.
Yulu’s Swirl and Style Tie Dye Studio Maker aims to take the mess out of the art of tie-dye, so kids can focus on the fun part: the creativity of it all. The new solution features special compartments that keeps the dye in place, rather than making a big mess everywhere else. No messy results? Now, that is groovy!
The craft kit comes with most of the supplies needed for any tie-dye project, except for a T-shirt (or another piece of blank clothing!) to decorate. To start the tie-dye fun, kids ages 6 and up will first need to set up the maker station (don’t forget to protect your work station!). Following a few quick snaps, kids are ready to dye!
Kids can whip up their own dye using the included bags of colored powder and some water. The set comes complete with one pair of kid-sized rubber gloves, which will help keep hands clean and unstained. It also includes a paper funnel that kids can tape and use to make sure the powder is fully poured into the bottle. And the creativity starts here: kids can use the included instructions to mix and match more than 30 different color combinations together, or create something all their own.
An included booklet features 12 designs that kids can create using different classic tie-dying methods, including the crumple, the twist, the bulls-eye, and the double twist.
The base of the maker has a nice little spot for each of the dye bottles, keeping everything neatly in place, but the star of the show is the orb. The twisted and banded T-shirt gets inserted inside, and kids can control where they place the dye carefully thanks to self-sealing valves, which also ensure the dye stays neatly inside the orb. Kids can use the crank to swivel the orb, giving them a new view on their creative masterpiece to add more dye to other areas. The orb is a parents’ dream, and it’s also pretty great for kids who want to be more precise with their designs.
Once their designs are complete, kids can un-band and rinse out the shirt, let it dry, and enjoy showing off their stylish tie-dye creation. The base also makes it easy to rinse finished masterpieces. Kids can unscrew the pink lids, hold onto the handle, and run water through the middle of the orb, without having to hold the dyed fabric while they rinse.
It’s all the fun of tie-dye with less chance of a mess, so kids can focus on the design. Groovy indeed!
The groovy, tie-dye fun kicks off this March when the Swirl and Style Tie Dye Studio Maker will roll out across retail shelves.
