Backfill · 2022
#4 of 357Tie-Dye Revival Kits
Screenshot of freshly tie-dyed t-shirts in spiral and bullseye patterns hanging on a clothesline against a balcony railing, squeeze bottles of dye and rubber bands visible on a plastic-covered table below.
Tie-dye kits sold out everywhere during 2020, turning a craft project into a pandemic coping mechanism. The results, spirals and bullseyes on white t-shirts hung to dry on apartment balconies, became a visual marker of that specific period. Each kit includes squeeze bottles of fabric dye, rubber bands, gloves, and a plastic tablecloth. Twisting fabric, binding it, and squeezing dye into the folds is tactile and imprecise unlike most modern making. Results are unpredictable because the dye spreads differently depending on how tightly you bind the fabric and how saturated you make each section. Randomness means every piece is genuinely unique.