Tie-Dye Eye Mask

How to Make

Before you start:
1. Rinse the mask by hand then squeeze out most of the water until it is damp.

   Place the polythene sheet from the kit over your work surface.

To make a striped or blended colour pattern:

2. Fold the eye mask in half lengthways then fold it over again. Tightly wrap 3 or 4 elastic bands around the folded mask. Each elastic band needs to be wrapped 4 or 5 times around the fabric.

To dye the mask:

3. Wear the disposable gloves in the kit then follow the instructions for adding water to the dye bottle and applying it onto the fabric.
   Squeeze the dye over the mask. Press and roll the mask to make sure the dye covers the fabric.

   Leave the mask to dry for 6-8 hours over a bowl with newspaper or paper towel underneath.
   Remove the elastic bands (with gloves on) then open out the mask. If it still feels very wet, remove any excess dye with paper towel or leave it to dry for a bit longer.

   Rinse the bag in water to remove any excess dye then leave it to fully dry. Cover it with a pressing cloth before ironing out the creases.

To make a dot pattern:

4. Colour the eye mask with dye as above.
   Pour a small amount of bleach into a small container or jar.
   Be careful handling bleach, wearing gloves and eye protection is advisable.
   Dip the end of a straw into the bleach then press it onto the front of the eye mask to make a dot. Repeat all over the mask making more dots with bleach.
   As the bleach soaks into the fabric it will make a pattern with white dots. Rinse the eye mask again and leave it to dry.

   As the eye mask fabric is absorbent, the dye colours will blend together rather then creating a clear tie dye pattern.

Top Tip

For stronger dye colours, try filling ½ or ¾ of the bottle with water. Shake the bottle so the dye powder is thoroughly mixed.