DIY Tie Dye Dog Bandanas

Where are my crafty dog mom and dads at?! I LOVE crafting! I used to run an Etsy store where I offered handmade dreamcatchers, but having four pups and trying to run that specific business has proven to be tough. Making dreamcatchers was a very calming and zen experience for me, but when four dogs see you concentrating next to a bunch of colorful beads and string – let’s just say they can’t resist trying to help out. HA! I don’t make dreamcatchers anymore but I can say the dogs have inspired me to get creative in many other ways.

I am excited to announce that I have dove headfirst into using professional dyes to add custom tie-dye dog bandanas to my Etsy store. So if you’re not in the mood to make your own but would like a custom bandana, check out my store here –> The Space Between Co.

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I was hoping to have a big selection for you guys to look at, but I just got the news that we are moving! I am excited – we’re pretty much going to have my dream backyard for our dogs. With all of the hustle and bustle of getting the new home worked out though, I wasn’t able to launch as many tie-dye bandanas I would have liked. I will continue to make them and release them once we settle in so, be sure to check back!

Why am I showing you how to make these when I offer them in my store? I believe in teaching, especially sharing knowledge that can bring joy to others. I think many people are finding it difficult to explore new ways to invest their time due to COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders being in place. I think tie-dye is fun, a great project for kids, and it’s not only limited to dog bandanas. My husband requested that I tie-dye all of his white shirts with stains when I started this project, and he has a very colorful closet now. L O L.

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You can keep this project affordable by using tie-dye kits from your local craft store. I believe I was able to snag a kit with 5 colors and four bandanas for around $20 (using coupons). As I mentioned before, I also dyed many of my husband’s shirts – so these kits really can go a long way! If you don’t have a craft store nearby, I have listed some supplies from Amazon that you’ll need for this project. Make sure to buy a kit because this will include everything you need (other than the bandanas)!

DIY Tie Dye Dog Bandanas

What You’ll Need:

• Tie-Dye Kit (A kit will typically include rubber bands, gloves, bottles, etc.)
• White Bandanas (100% Cotton)
• Gloves and Rubber Bands (You’ll only need these separately if you do not buy a tie-dye kit.)
• Cardboard or any surface that you don’t mind dying on. (These dyes will stain everything. I recommend doing this outside and away from your dogs.)

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What To Do:

• I love the Tulip Tie-Dye Kits because they include excellent step by step instructions for any project.
  • Set up a safe place outside (away from the pups) that you can tie-dye. I opted to do my project in the grass on an old Chewy shipping box. It made it easy to just pick up the box, and throw it away once my project was done.
  • Get your dog bandanas wet and ring out excess moisture. You do want them to be damp for your project! Optional: You can wash the items you want to dye before your project, but you don’t have to.
  • Fill your dye bottles with all of the colors you would like to use. Make sure you’re wearing gloves – this stuff will stain EVERYTHING. Set them to the side while you decide which tie-dye patterns you want each bandana to have.
  • I chose to use the crumple, spiral, and shibori tie-dye techniques. (See info below for a quick description of each technique.)
  • You can be methodical with your application technique, or you can just go to town and do whatever you want! You’ll just apply a little bit of each chosen color to your bandanas – make sure to apply colors to both sides. The great thing about tie-dye is you can just have fun with it – there’s not much you can mess up, and you will always get unique results. My only tip is to Google a color wheel so you can make sure not to apply colors that will create a muddy/brown appearance. For example, applying a primary color next to a tertiary color will probably create a muddy appearance (Example: Placing yellow dye next to purple dye.) You can see in a couple of my bandana pictures that I wasn’t paying attention to my method, but that’s why I love tie-dye because this still all looked great!
  • Tie up your project in a plastic bag (I used a few of the grocery bags that I feel so inclined to store under my kitchen sink for all eternity.) You can leave them in the bag for 6-24 hours. The longer you let them sit, the brighter the colors will be. Once you’re ready to complete the project, put your gloves on, rinse out the dye with warm water in your kitchen sink until the water runs clear. Rinse these by hand one at a time, you can then wash ALL of your bandanas with laundry soap, hot water, and either hang dry or dry on a low heat setting. Your bandanas are then ready to wear!
    • Note: I suggest washing the bandanas on their own at least two times before including them with other clothes. This is just to be on the safe side to make sure the colors are completely washed and don’t bleed on your other clothes.

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Tie-Dye Techniques:

1. Crumple: This is my favorite technique because it’s so easy! Lay your bandana flat, use two fingers to crumple random sections together, rubber band as many times as you want to keep your crumples somewhat in place until your ready to rinse and wash the bandana.
2. Spiral: Lay your bandana flat, pinch the bandana in the center, twist until the bandana is in a complete spiral formation. Now rubber band as many times as you would like to keep your spiral in place.
3. Shibori: I didn’t do the best at this technique but it still turned out geat. Using a paper towel tube, roll your bandana around the tube, scrunch the bandana in random places on the tube, rubber band in place.

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DIY Tie Dye Dog Bandanas