Tulip 2 Minute Tie Dye Kit: Pros And Cons
If you have taken a peek around the site, you definitely know that I LOVE to tie dye!! I love the patterns, the unlimited color combinations, and the beautiful blended one-of-a-kind designs created each time. I don’t, however, love the long, patience-challenging time it takes to cure the dye (8-24 hours typically). Well, it seems that Tulip has found a solution for that: the Tulip 2 Minute Tie Dye Kit.
To put the 2 minute curing container to the test, I finally got to create my Spider Tie Dye Super Hero shirts (post coming VERY SOON). I’ll walk through the step-by-step process as well as common questions and finally wrap up with Pros and Cons (because YES, SPOILER, it does work, BUT there are things you need to consider if you want to use it).
Now let’s get testing!
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Tulip 2 Minute Tie Dye Kit
We’re going to walk through what comes with each kit, how to use the container in each kit to cure the dye and pros and cons of curing with the kit versus the traditional 8-24 hours curing period. Before we get to that, let’s discuss some common questions about Tulip’s 2 minute tie dye kits.
What tie dye patterns can I use with the 2 minute tie dye kit?
Since the plastic container in the kit is used for curing the dye, you can use any pattern that you like (see Tie Dye Patterns for inspiration). Make sure, however, that only the item, such as a shirt, and rubber bands (or string) are in the container, so no plastic wrap (like we use for rainbow tie dye). Also, and this may seem obvious, but do NOT put a bleach tie dye item in the container. Bleach does not need heat to remove dye and it affects what the bleach does.
What projects can I use with the 2 minute tie dye kit?
The plastic container in the kit can safety fit a large (maybe even x-large) shirt, so any other item, like hat, bag, shorts, etc. that are around the same size should work as long as the container can be completely sealed. I would not recommend over-stuffing the container as the 2 minute time to cure assumes that the item easily fits inside the container. A larger item equals more time needed for curing and you might find that the 2 minute time isn’t enough (making the colors faded and wash out quicker over time). Also, large items like sweatshirts and pants will not fit in the container. One more note, items like shoes like contain rubber, should not go in the container regardless of size (If you wouldn’t put it in the dryer, don’t put it in the microwave!).
Can I put multiple items in the container at the same time?
While you technically can put more than one item in the container if they fit, I would not recommend it. Dye from each item will pool slightly at the bottom of the container, so colors may bleed from one item to the next unexpectedly.
Can I reuse the container?
YES! As long as you wash out the container after each use and the container still seals, it can be used many, many times. I have 3 currently (not sure how I acquired that many), and they have been used numerous times.
2 MINUTE TIE DYE KIT SUPPLIES & OTHER ITEMS NEEDED
The list below includes everything needed for a tie dye project. I will call out what is included with the kit as well as other items you may want to get to make your project a success.
What you’ll need:
- Item To Tie Dye (See 30 Things To Tie Dye for suggestions)
- Dye Bottles (INCLUDED IN KIT)
- Rubber Bands (INCLUDED IN KIT)
- Plastic Gloves (INCLUDED IN KIT)
- Curing Containers (INCLUDED IN KIT)
- Plastic Covering For Work Surface
- Painter’s Tape (optional)
- Baking Tray With Rack (optional)
- Paper Towels/Rags
Baking sheet/rack versus just a workspace covered in plastic: I have dyed MANY shirts on just a covered workspace. As long as you have a ton of paper towels and are careful, you will be fine. It is, however, MUCH easier and more environmentally friendly (i.e. paper towel usage) if you use a baking sheet and rack because any excess dye goes directly onto the pan, away from your item, and you barely need to use any paper towels. If you plan on tie dyeing a number of items now or in the future I strongly suggest the investment.
PREPPING YOUR ITEM FOR TIE DYEING
For all projects that you are using the 2 minute container with, you will need to start with a DAMP, but not wet, item like this shirt. The shirt could be fresh out of the washing machine. If you washed it a different day, like I usually do, then just dunk the shirt in a bucket of water or sink and wring it out before starting. NOTE: It is SUPER important for the entire item to be damp when it goes into the container and into the microwave! If there are dry spots, you will risk burn marks (which Tulip emphasizes in their instructions).
At this point you can tie up your item according to the pattern instructions. For this example, I am creating a spider tie dye and here are those steps.
1. Fold the shirt in half length-wise and lay it down on the work surface.
2. Using your fingers, pinch where the center of the spiral should be and start twisting. Keep twisting while the shirt winds up around the center.
3. Once the shirt is completely twisted up, you’re ready to secure the shirt with rubber bands. Place the first rubber band around the spiral by carefully sliding it under/over the shirt and across the center of the spiral. Add 3 more rubber bands, so it resembles a 8 slice pizza. Don’t worry if it looks a bit messy. Once the rubber bands are on, wrap another rubber band around the circle and tuck loose ends in.
Dyeing The ITEM
4. Set your shirt on the baking sheet/cooling rack or covered workspace and put on your gloves. Since we are only using one color (fuchsia) with white, I decided to do large bands of the fuchsia and white, so the white (hopefully) stays white. Fill in 2 wedges of the shirt and the 2 wedges across from that. Make sure to add extra dye and let it soak in, so it can get to the center of the shirt. When you have finished dyeing the first side of the shirt, carefully turn it over. You will want to wipe up any access dye on the rack or workspace before laying the shirt down. Repeat the dyeing process. TIP: If you are using the baking sheet, you can turn the sheet and not have to touch the shirt while dyeing.
Once both sides of the shirt have been dyed (below left pic), add black dye to the top of the second side of the shirt (no need to flip over again). Be sure to cover the entire side in black, but no need to add extra dye to soak in (JUST COVER IT).
CURING THE DYE IN THE MICROWAVE
OK, this is the fun part!
5. Take the shirt and place it in the center of the container. NOTE: For this pattern, I really wanted the white parts to stay white, so I put the more heavily dyed side down.
6. Close the container and make sure the sides are all sealed. Place it in the microwave.
7. Microwave on high for 2 to 2min 30sec. (Be sure to read Tulip’s instructions on time for your microwave). Ours was 2 minutes. Also, monitor the microwave for the full time its running, in case there is an issue. NOTE: I have never had any issues with burning, but Tulip recommends watching it to be sure. ANOTHER NOTE: You will hear some POPPING! This is from the rubber bands breaking from the heat. Totally normal!
Once the microwave is finished, take the container out of the microwave and do NOT open the container! Set a timer for 15 minutes and leave it closed to finish curing.
8. After the 15 minutes are up, open the container and set another timer for 5 minutes to allow it to cool. Notice that all of the rubber bands are snapped. Totally normal (every one of mine does that in the microwave).
Rinsing AND WASHING
Once the shirt/item has cooled, it’s time to rinse and wash the shirt. This is an important step in tie dyeing. If you rinse/wash your item in the wrong order or rush it, the nice colors and pattern you created can become muddy and lost.
9. Take the shirt out of the container and put it in a sink or bucket (something that can get dirty and won’t stain). We use our stainless steel kitchen sink for this. Remove the rubber bands and then rinse the shirt in COLD water. The cold part is critical because it allows excess dye to wash out slowly while not bleeding into other parts of the shirt.
10. Repeat this rinse process several times until the water is fairly clear.
11. Once the water is fairly clear, repeat the rinse process once more, but with luke warm water (not HOT). This should get the last bit of excess dye out before putting it in a washing machine.
12. Once the shirt is thoroughly rinsed, you can wash it in the washing machine either by itself or with several other rinsed tie dye items. If I’m tie dyeing a bunch of shirts, I will put up to 6 in one load. Wash on warm or cold with a bit of detergent.
13. Dry the shirt(s) in dryer or let air dry. Personally I prefer air drying as it extends the life of the dye color (as they will eventually fade a bit with washing and wear).
NOTE: Wash the shirt by itself or with other tie dye items for the next few washings before adding it in with your other clothes.
FINAL Tie dyed SHIRTS
The first and second spider tie dye shirts came out really nice (see below). The colors were still pretty bright and there wasn’t a lot of bleeding.
(Cured In Container)
(Cured In Container)
The last spider tie dye shirt I ended up doing 3 times because I wasn’t happy with the amount of white and lack of punchy red and blue (typical of everyone’s neighborhood spider guy’s suit). After shirt 3, I added more dye to shirt 4 and cured it in the container. While there was less white, it still didn’t have the punchy colors, so I created one final shirt. This time, after dyeing, I careful placed it in a plastic bag, sealed it and let it cure for 24 hours before washing. And shirt 5 is the winner!
(Cured In Container)
(Cured In Container)
(Cured In Plastic Bag For 24 Hours)
PROs & CONs Of USING TULIP’S 2 MINUTE TIE DYE KIT
PRO
- CURING TIME – The most obvious benefit of the container is cutting dye curing time from 8-24 hours to 22 minutes. This is super helpful if you are trying to wrap up a project the same day.
- EASY TO USE – The container is very easy to use and the microwave instructions are very straight forward.
- REUSABLE – As long as you take care of the container, it should be reusable for many tie dye projects in the future.
CON
- NOT ENOUGH TIME TO CURE BRIGHTEST, DEEPEST COLORS – This was obvious with my last set of shirts. If you are looking for a true red, deep blue, dark black, you need to allow those colors time to properly cure and 2 minutes, even with high heat, is not enough time to fully make them pop.
- PROJECT SIZE LIMIT – This curing process only works on items that comfortably fit into the container. If you have larger items, like a hoodie, pants, larger bag, etc., the container will not work.
- ONE ITEM AT A TIME – There is no way to really batch cure items. One container in the microwave at a time and then 20 minutes after to finish curing, so if you are trying to cure multiple items you will need multiple containers and then 22 minutes for each round.
- BURN RISK – If the item is not fully damp, you risk burning the fabric.
- REQUIRES MICROWAVE – For most people this isn’t an issue, but it is a requirement for using the kit and if you do not have a microwave, you cannot use the container to cure the dye.
I hope these tips will inspire you to take a look at the kit. It’s a pretty fun tool for tie dyeing!