Tie dye masks now make quite a loud noise in the garment industry, mainly due to the pandemic.
During this trying time, we should always make it a priority to have, not just our own health protection, but also to everyone around us. Face masks have long been a standard product used to protect against and prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses; however, most retail stores are now short in supply.
Since the world faces a big health problem these days, face masks are now part of our normal working everyday life – a part of a new normal. Some people assume using plain surgical face masks is a no-no for a fashionable OOTD’s and a disgrace to fashion styles, and people have designed a couple of strategies to overcome this.
Most people are creative and innovative enough to make their design, and although they do not work like that of a surgical mask, they can still provide a certain degree of security rather than wearing none at all. It is helping us stop from scratching our noses and always putting our hands on our mouth (consciously or unconsciously), and, best of all, they are also becoming trendy. Tie-dye is the ideal way to add elegance to your masks, and the best thing to do is create your style to express yourself.
Being imaginative in the middle of the situation these days is not a bad thing to do. It is indeed one way to express positivity regardless of all the happenings around us. You can always cop with a stylish, reusable mask that lets you emit a little glimmer of fun whenever you go out.
DIY Tie Dye Masks
Tie-dye is such a great form of art as you can experiment with several different colors and styles. You may use various ways to use different methods, but using loops, rubber bands, or even zip ties are by far the most popular.
Tie-dying masks follow the same dying procedure as to how you will tie-dye a t-shirt.
More dye is preserved with natural fiber tie-dye, resulting in a lighter, longer-lasting product. You may use 100% cotton shirts, or even other fun items such as bandanas, scarves, and string pouches. Pre-washing the fabrics is advised to assess the material and take away any debris to make sure that the dye will be dissolved properly.
The two most significant considerations for good tie-dyeing will be the color choice and color saturation. The secret is to pour enough dye into the cloth’s folds to avoid having a vast amount of the shirt’s original color on the finished product. For a dramatic outcome, squeeze the dye-saturated areas tightly to make sure that the dye permeates the fabric’s inner layers.
Put also in mind the color wheel when it comes to choosing colors that need to be placed beside each other. You must not place opposing colors next to each other, like red near white, blue after orange, or yellow next to purple: a dark, dirty mess will become the byproduct. It would also be best to avoid having a color hue with red mixed in it – unless you want to have bright, vivid colors.
Making the Tie Dye Designs
Vertical and lateral stripe:
Fold a piece of the cloth into vertical folds and finish with horizontal lines. Vertical stripes are the result of horizontal pliers.
Diagonal creases serve as an alternative to diagonal lines.
Bullseye:
In the case of condensed circles, grab the fabric where you would like the middle to be and pull it up until you have more or less made a long tube, then loop rubber bands onto the fabric at each interval.
Classic Spiral:
Put the fabric on a flat surface, smoothen out all the wrinkles, then create a tiny pleat just right where the center is. Take a clothespin to the very center of the crease, and begin spinning. The pleats fall further from the center as you twist; when this pleat becomes too wide, split the pliers with your hands, holding each height.
Circles:
Another way is to loop and tie the fabric around the garment in certain places, using small rubber bands. This will make luminous circles.
How to Mix the Dye
Apply liquid dye first to an empty spray bottle, and afterward, add water. Pay attention when measuring the dye. Ensure that the jar is fully open and use a face shield as long as necessary. Do not breathe in the paint odor.
Replace the cap on the bottle and start shaking until the dye is immersed. For better results, pour the color dye to the fabric within 30 minutes after mixing.
To better guarantee the dye stays on and avoid unnecessary fading in color, you should pre-soak the fabric in a sodium carbonate solution for 15 minutes to 1 hour along with 1 cup per 2 gallons of water, except when the dye is already pre-mixed with the solution,
Dye Application
Rinse or soak in heated water and wring it out until the water is not dripping anymore before you fold and tie your object. A damp fabric will most likely absorb the dye quicker.
Put the fabric on a covered plastic surface once it has been folded or tied. Directly pour the dye into the material and take measures to ensure that it has infiltrated the folds. Squeeze out the area you dyed to get into the folds. Flip over on the other side and repeat.
Enclose the dyed fabric in a plastic bag to keep it damp.
Make sure that the fabric stays moist enough so that the desired reaction will occur. It must be stored in a plastic bag for at least 12 – 24 hours.
Washing the Tie Dyed Mask
Cut the rubber bands carefully and make sure you are not snipping the fabric. Rinse in cold water by hand before machine washing.
Rinse first in cold water to remove any dye from the fabric and then wash it repeatedly in very hot water to remove any undissolved dye remnants until the water becomes clear.
Now you have got a stylish, tie-dyed face mask.
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