Looking for something to do with the kids? I loved tie-dyeing my clothes when I was younger, and I just discovered a way to do it that's completely non-toxic – and all it takes is things you probably already have at home. David's Tea recently posted a tie-dye recipe on their blog, and all you need is tea!
To get started, you need 100% cotton T-shirts (or other cotton clothes), elastic bands, one large container with a lid for each colour you want to create and, of course, tea. You can experiment with whatever you have on hand in your cupboard, but David's Tea says Butterfly Pea Flowers should give you a nice royal blue colour, whereas their Coco Mango Chai can make yellow, and magenta can be created from Organic Queen of Tarts. And if you're just buying tea for this project, know that some are up to 70% off during their Semi-Annual Sale!
For each kind of tea you choose, bring five cups of water to a boil, pour it into one of the containers and steep the tea. You might have to play around with how much tea you add. As a general rule of thumb, more tea will lead to darker, concentrated colours, while less tea could have a lighter or pastel effect.
Then, soak your shirt in hot water, wring out the excess and lay it flat to determine your design. You can follow any of these tie-dye techniques to create patterns with your rubber bands. Once your shirt is ready, submerge it in the tea for three to six hours. The longer it soaks for, the darker your colour should be. Afterward, take your tee out of the container and let it dry for at least a few hours. Cut off the elastic bands, and voila!
Until I stumbled across this craft, I didn't realize that David's Tea had a blog, but it's actually pretty handy. They have an entire section called Tea 101 that's basically a crash course in tea and includes brewing tips, tricks for choosing the right blend and a guide to the differences between types of teas. They also have recipes for everything from tea slushies to matcha-infused cookies, as well as a few self-care tips.
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