Quick Cosmos tie-dye set

I dyed this set together with Romi while we were in Sri Lanka, using hot water, a glass jar and the sun.
I took a few pre-mordanted pieces with us on vacation so that we can dye them in case we stumble across some local dye stuff. I was surprised how much cosmos is growing along roadsides in Sri Lanka!

What you'll need

  • pre-mordanted garment (we used 1x legging & 1x tank top)
  • 2 handfuls sulfur cosmos (fresh or dried)
  • hot water
  • a big jar or container

Step 1

Wet your garments and tie them together tightly with rubber bands or a cotton string. Pull out pieces of the fabric from the inside of the bundle, so that the tie dye effect will be spread out evenly across the garment.

Step 2

Place your sulfur cosmos into the jar and add hot water. Make sure the water is not boiling (around 80-90°C). Stir and leave to soak for about 30-60 minutes until the color of the cosmos is completely released into the water.

Step 3

Carefully add your tie-dye bundles into the dye bath. During the first 10 minutes (depending on the size of your jar) you can turn the bundles a few times so that they are taking up the color evenly.

Place the jar in a sunny spot in your home and leave it there for 1 or 2 days until you are satisfied with the color.

Step 4

Take the bundles out of the jar and squeeze out the excess water.

Step 5

Remove the rubber bands and open the bundles. Hang to dry. After 2-3 days you can wash the garments with natural ph-neutral eco detergent.

And you’re kids’ new favorite new tie-dye set is done!

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