The 9 Best Tie-Dye Kits of 2023
Here, the best tie-dye kits available now.
We researched the best tie-dye kits, considering the skill level, compatible materials, and color options of each. Our best overall option, the Tulip One-Step 5 Color Tie-Dye Kit , includes enough dye for 30 projects with beginner-friendly instructions, and all the materials needed to get started.
Tie-dyed clothing is popular again for summer. It’s a fun, budget-friendly activity that kids and adults can partake in, and you can easily yield results in a few hours with a good quality tie-dye kit.
What to Look for in a Tie-Dye Kit
Best Overall
Tulip One-Step 5 Color Tie-Dye Kit
Amazon
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What We Like
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Easy to use
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Comes with everything needed
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Great for beginners
What We Don’t Like
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Color vibrancy may vary
When it comes to tie-dye, Tulip is a go-to brand for reasonably priced, high-quality products. Not surprisingly, the top-rated One-Step 5 Color Tie-Dye Kit stands out among other bundles. This affordable, user-friendly kit comes with five 1.5-ounce squeeze bottles of concentrated, nontoxic dye and five refill packets. The water-activated dye is suitable for dyeing natural materials, like cotton, wool, and bamboo rayon. Also, you don’t need to presoak clothing or textiles in soda ash before dyeing them.
There are several versions of One-Step 5 Color kit, each with its own color scheme, including Carousel, Mermaid, Neon, Rainbow, Shibori, and Ultimate. Even though each pack comes with only five hues, they’re mixable, allowing you to create a wide range of colors and shades. The kit also includes rubber bands, gloves, and a how-to guide. All in all, you’ll have enough supplies for up to 30 tie-dye projects.
Price at time of publish: $20
Compatible Materials: Best and brightest on natural fiber fabrics | Skill Level: Beginner | Quantity: 5
Best Budget
Rit Original Tie-Dye Kit
Walmart
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What We Like
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Affordable
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Helpful instructions
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Single colors available to add on
What We Don’t Like
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Not as much dye as other options
Rit is a well-known at-home dye brand. The tried-and-true, no-nonsense dyes are effective, vibrant, and budget-friendly. With the Rit Original Tie-Dye Kit, you’ll get three bold colors (yellow, fuchsia, and turquoise), six easy-to-use designs, three latex gloves, and 18 rubber bands. If you’re new to tie-dyeing or just want to dye a few items, this is an excellent choice. It comes with enough dye for up to six T-shirts, but you can use it on just about any garment or textile.
In addition to the Original Tie-Dye Kit, Rit also offers single-hue ColorPerfect kits to add to your collection and mix unique colors for your projects. Each of these tie-dye kits comes with a bottle of pre-mixed dye with three different applicator heads.
Price at time of publish: $19
Compatible Materials: Best on cotton | Skill Level: Beginner | Quantity: 3
Best for Kids
Vanstek 24 Colors Tie Dye DIY Kit
Amazon
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What We Like
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Leak-proof bottles
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Enough dye for tons of projects
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Includes informational guide
What We Don’t Like
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Not as many bright color options as other kits
Tie-dyeing is a great summertime craft for kids. But if you’re like a lot of parents, you probably want to make sure the dyes are nontoxic and otherwise safe for all ages. The Vanstek 24 Colors Tie-Dye DIY Kit is a kid-friendly product with nontoxic, acid-free dyes. It’s also easy to use—no need to soak fabrics in soda ash—and includes a simple four-step guide for beginners.
This kit comes with 24 bright just-add-water dye colors, each clearly labeled in its own squeeze bottle. With ten pairs of plastic gloves, 120 rubber bands, and two table covers, it’s ideal for a family craft or sleepover party. Like most tie-dye kits, Vanstek recommends using it with cotton or rayon, as natural materials display the colors better than synthetics.
Price at time of publish: $31
Compatible Materials: Cotton, rayon, wool | Skill Level: Beginner | Quantity: 24
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Best Color Selection
Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit Ultimate Summer Bundle
Amazon
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What We Like
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Wide color selection
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Perfect for large groups or parties
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Handy squeeze bottles
What We Don’t Like
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Some customers report fading over time
Most at-home dyes can be blended to create different colors, but sometimes, it’s nice to have a broad selection of pre-mixed hues. For the best color selection, check out the One-Step Tie-Dye Kit Ultimate Summer Bundle from Tulip. It comes with a whopping 30 highly concentrated colors, each in its own easy-squeeze bottle.
As with Tulip’s One-Step 5 Color kit, there’s no need to presoak materials before dyeing them, and the dyes are activated with water. This bundle has enough supplies for up to 90 projects, so it’s perfect for a on-going at-home hobby or classroom or birthday party activity. In addition to 30 pigmented dyes, you’ll get 100 rubber bands, 10 sets of gloves, and a plastic table cover.
Price at time of publish: $70
Compatible Materials: Best and brightest on natural fiber fabrics | Skill Level: Beginner | Quantity: 30
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Best Eco-Friendly
Tomser DIY Tie Dye Kit
Amazon
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What We Like
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Eco-friendly
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Suitable for all skill levels
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No mixing dyes required
What We Don’t Like
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Pre-washing required
If you’re looking for eco-friendly dyes, we recommend the Tomser DIY Tie-Dye Kit. The SGS-certified kit includes 26 nontoxic, acid-free colors guaranteed to be safe for the environment and humans. Along with 26 squeeze-bottle dyes, you’ll get 10 gloves, two aprons, and 126 rubber bands.
With easy-to-follow instructions, this kit is suitable for both beginners and seasoned tie-dyers. The bottles are clearly labeled, which saves time, and the dyes are activated with water and a quick shake. Whether you want to dye a tank top, sweatpants, a hoodie, a hat, a scarf, a headband, bedding, curtains, cotton baby clothes, or a pair of canvas shoes, this dye kit is not only safe but also efficient.
Price at time of publish: N/A
Compatible Materials: Natural fiber fabrics | Skill Level: Beginner to expert | Quantity: 26
Best Reverse Tie-Dye
Tulip Reverse Tie-Dye Kit
Amazon
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What We Like
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Unique spin on tie-dyeing
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Includes how-to guide
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Suitable for dark fabrics
What We Don’t Like
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Can achieve similar results with bleach
Instead of adding color to fabrics, reverse tie-dye does the opposite. Color is “removed,” which essentially means it’s bleached out. The Tulip Reverse Tie-Dye Kit comes with four bottles of color-changer solution, 30 rubber bands, three pairs of gloves, and a how-to guide. You can use this kit with any color of fabric. However, it works best with deeper shades, like black, navy blue, purple, and dark green, as these colors will provide the most contrast.
To get the reverse effect, you use the rubber bands to tie up the material, just like with a traditional tie-dye project. Then you add the color-changer solution and let it sit until it reaches a shade you like. After that, wash the garment, allow it to dry, and see the striking results.
Price at time of publish: $13
Compatible Materials: Natural fiber fabrics | Skill Level: Intermediate | Quantity: 4
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Best for Beginners
Jacquard Tie Dye Kit
Amazon
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What We Like
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Easy-to-use
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Supplemental video instructions
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Can mix primary colors to create new hues
What We Don’t Like
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Can get messy
Jacquard is a household name for dyes and other crafting products for all skill levels. It’s no surprise the brand’s Tie-Dye Kit is a top choice for beginners. The straightforward bundle is exceptionally easy to use. It comes with pre-measured, water-activated dyes in the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow), which you can mix into other hues.
You’ll also get vinyl gloves, rubber bands, soda ash dye fixer, four mixing bottles, and a DVD that demonstrates different folding and tying patterns. (The content is also available on YouTube.) Cotton, wool, and other natural materials are recommended to use with the Jacquard Tie-Dye Kit. It comes with enough dye for up to 15 adult-sized T-shirts, but you can use it to tie-dye a variety of items.
Price at time of publish: $55 for 2-pack
Compatible Materials: Not listed | Skill Level: Any | Quantity: 3
The 11 Best Craft Kits for Adults in 2022
Best Spray Dye
SEI Tumble Dye Classic Tie Dye Kit, Pack of 8
Amazon
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What We Like
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Streamlined dye process
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No washing required
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Quicker turnaround than traditional dye
What We Don’t Like
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Harder to get a concentrated design with spray bottle
Traditional tie-dyeing calls for soaking fabrics in a dye, but with spray bottles, the process can be much easier. Check out the Tumble Dye Classic Tie-Dye Kit from SEI. The bundle comes with eight ready-to-use dyes, including pink, red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, and purple.
Each pre-mixed, water-based color comes in its own spray bottle, which simplifies the dyeing process and creates less mess. Not only can you skip the soaking, but you don’t even need to wash the garments after spraying them. Just throw them in the dryer for about 20 minutes, and you’re good to go. While this kit doesn’t include gloves or rubber bands, it comes with enough dye to personalize up to 32 T-shirts.
Price at time of publish: $20
Compatible Materials: Not listed | Skill Level: Intermediate | Quantity: 8
Best Natural
ShopAdroit Turmeric Dye Kit
Etsy
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What We Like
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Your purchase supports a small business
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Vivid color
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Teaches basics of natural dyeing
What We Don’t Like
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Limited color options
If you’d like to use an earth-sourced dye, you might consider the Turmeric Dye Kit from ShopAdroit, an Etsy shop specializing in hand-dyed apparel. This DIY tie-dye kit comes with organic turmeric powder, clothespins, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, a natural dyeing manual, and your choice of a white pillow cover or tote bag.
After dyeing your pillowcase or tote, you’ll have enough dye for up to four more small items. Bear in mind that with this kit, you’re limited to yellow dye, as it’s the natural hue of turmeric. But this doesn’t mean you can’t create beautiful, eye-catching pieces. You’ll also have the bonus of supporting a small business.
Price at time of publish: $42
Compatible Materials: Pillowcase or tote bag | Skill Level: Beginners or kids with supervision | Quantity: 1