Tie-Dye Candycane Pajamas
BEGINNER
1 hour
Create cozy, coordinated family pajamas with a playful candy cane twist. These cheerful red, white and green stripes make the perfect holiday tradition to cherish for years to come.
Supplies
- White Pajamas (cotton, linen, silk, wool, ramie, and blends less than 35% synthetic material)
- Rit All-Purpose Liquid Dye in Scarlet and Kelly Green
- Rubber Bands
- Washable Fabric Marker
- Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative
- Squeeze Bottles
- Measuring Cup and Spoon
- Wire Rack and Tray
- Paper Towels
- Dish Detergent
- Salt
Instructions
- Prewash clothes in warm, soapy water. This helps to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption.
- Lay top and bottoms flat on a clean surface.
- Draw candycane shape starting at the bottom of the sleeve extending down to the pants.
- Carefully pleat along the drawn line end to end on the top and repeat for the bottoms.
- Place rubber bands to secure the pleats down the length of both the top and bottoms. Set aside
- Wearing rubber gloves, mix 2 tablespoons of well-shaken liquid dye with two cups of hot tap water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Pour into a squirt bottle. Shake well. Repeat to create multiple colors as desired. We used Rit All-Purpose Liquid dyes in Scarlet and Kelly Green.
- Place bound shirt on a wire rack with a tray under it. This keeps the dye from puddling under the shirt.
- Squeeze Scarlet dye onto the section created by the the two rubberbands in Step 5. Then apply Kelly Green onto the remainder of the top and bottoms. Flip over and repeat.
- To set the dye, do the following while the shirt is still tied up:
- Apply Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative with a squeeze bottle, which will enhance the colors and reduce bleeding. Mix 2 tablespoons of well-shaken ColorStay Dye Fixative with water and apply liberally to both sides of the fabric.
- We strongly recommend using your microwave, as long as the fabric does not have any metal parts on it. After applying ColorStay Dye Fixative, wrap the fabric in plastic wrap and seal the edges or place it into our microwave tray. Place the wrapped fabric on a paper towel in the microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Plastic will puff up, creating a heat chamber that helps bond the dye with the fabric. Once the microwave is done, remove the fabric and open the plastic, letting it cool down.
- If a microwave is not available or feasible to use and it is a hot sunny day, lay the wrapped fabric out in the sun for an hour.
- Rinse in cold water until rinse water begins to run clear. This is very important to prevent unabsorbed dye from bleeding into any white areas. If possible, rinse with the fabric bundle sitting flat on the baking rack. If it is held vertically, some of the unabsorbed dye could run into white areas as it is rinsed off.
- Carefully remove rubber bands with scissors and unfold the tote.
- Wash in cold water with a mild detergent, rinse and dry.
