Jacquard Fiber Reactive Dyes: Tie Die Kit Review

If you're in search of the easiest possible way to get started with tie dyeing, a tie dye kit is the answer. Tie dye kits allow you to skip some of the preparatory work and get right to the fun part- the tie dyeing. There are many different brands of tie dye kits; they vary in quality, price, and size. Jacquard's tie dye kits are an excellent choice for crafters who don't plan to dye in volume. They are an appropriate purchase if you want to make fewer than 15 adult sized shirts.

Jacquard fiber reactive dyes are high quality. These dyes are effective on cotton and other natural-fiber fabrics. The colors are vibrant and beautiful. When applied correctly to the fabric, the colors will not fade.

Contents of the Jacquard Tie Dye Kit:

Instructions, including design ideas for tie-dyed patterns
A pair of disposable rubber gloves
4 squirt bottles
Red, blue, and yellow Procion MX fiber-reactive dyes that have already been measured and added to the bottles
Soda ash / dye fixer

An international version of this kit is available. The international version contains instructions in the French, German, Spanish and Italian languages.

Country of Origin:

Jacquard fiber reactive dyes are made in the USA.

Tips For Dyeing With Jacquard Tie Dye Kits:

Follow the included instructions carefully to avoid problems.

Plan t-shirt designs ahead of time for best results. Ideas can be sketched on paper before you start dyeing.

If possible, keep pets out of the room when your dyeing session is in progress.

After your tie dyed t-shirts have been dyed, wash them several times with a specially formulated detergent known as Synthrapol. This will help remove the excess dye; Synthrapol can also help prevent "backstaining". Backstaining is when different colored dyes on the same garment contaminate each other.

If you don't have Synthrapol, you can use ordinary laundry detergent to wash the newly-dyed t-shirts, but it will be necessary to rinse the t-shirts with water carefully and repeatedly prior to washing.

When you are finished creating all the shirts you want to tie-dye, there will be dye left over. You can use the leftover dyes to decorate and hand-dye papers to use in other crafts. I often use leftover dyes to decorate papers for use in fine art, collage, art trading cards, mixed media art, art journals, scrapbooking, and altered art projects.

Strathmore Bristol board is an ideal paper to use if you want to try hand dyeing papers. Strathmore Bristol board is heavy enough to withstand being dyed with a minimum of warping and distorting.

Costs:

There are less expensive ways to get started with tie dye than this kit. On the other hand, it would take more work on your part assembling all the supplies. You would have to purchase in bulk from some dye suppliers; considering that, I think the Jacquard tie dye kits are reasonably priced. I have purchased many of these tie dye kits in the past. I paid $19.99 for the ones that were purchased from a local art supply store, and $10-$15 for pre-owned, unused kits that I purchased on ebay. These kits are on sale and in stock at amazon.com at the time of this article's publication.

Conclusion:

Jacquard tie dye kits are ideal for the casual dyer who wants a hassle-free, fun experience. I am delighted to recommend them to other artists and crafters.

More Fiber Arts Resources:

You might also be interested in reading a product review of Jacquard Products Lumiere Metallic Paints.
Jacquard Products' Web Site.
You can buy Jacquard Tie Dye Kits at Amazon.com.