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!
