6th Grade Tie-Dye Madness

I got this idea a few years ago when I taught 6th grade to make tie-dyed t-shirts for the kids. The shirts were made as a way to united the 6th graders and make them stand out at the school. Wearing them at their end of the year softball game, science camp, and the talent show, this seemed like a good idea, but a messy one, to say the least.

At first, I thought this project was going to be mayhem, but I was quickly shown, with the proper guidance and organization, this project was fun, entertaining, and controllable. The planing began by asking the kids to bring in a white t-shirt or two dollars. Next, I bought five 3 gallon buckets from the Dollar Tree along with five Rit Dye colors from Rite Aid. Last, I gathered together rubber bands and demonstrated for the kids different ways to tie the rubber bands around their shirts. From a spiral pattern to a stripped pattern, the kids quickly caught on and got excited. After I demonstrated how to properly dip their shirts into the hot dye water, I let them dive into the task.

Shirt after shirt, more and more creative coloring and rubber banding emerged. As the kids unwrapped their rubber bands, you could see the anticipation in their eyes as they waited to see what their masterpiece looked like. After letting them dry, the kids could not wait to put them on! Warning them that the fresh color might bleed on their clothes, most kids could careless, they just wanted to show off their new 6th grade artwork! With smiling kids all around me and a new shirt to take home, I was extremely happy with the results and success of this project. I highly recommend taking the plunge and doing this project with your kids. Not only do they learn a new "hip" skill, they start feeling like they truly "rule the school".