Dolly & Me Tie-Dye Party

One of my daughter's favorite things right now is playing with her 18 inch doll and coordinating their outfits. Her other friends with dolls are the same way, so we teamed up with Tie Dye Your Summer to throw a Dolly and Me Tie-Dye Party!! It was such a fun, colorful way to start our summer, and I'm excited to share the details with you today!!

Before the party, I cut up adult white t-shirts and sewed up a pillowcase-style dress for both the girls and their 18 inch dolls. 

What would a tie-dye party be without tie dye?? We used a Tulip® One-Step Tie-Dye Kit® that comes with enough supplies for up to six people. The kit includes 18 bottles of dye in 14 brilliant colors, a project guide (with different dying techniques), gloves, rubber bands, and a plastic table cover to protect your work space.

I prepped our tie-dye table by placing a bucket for each girl to tie-dye in. Next to each bucket are the dresses, rubber bands and most important - gloves!! I also recommend using plastic aprons to protect your clothing.

On the other end of the table, I filled up a bucket with water to dampen the dresses before tie-dying, along with plastic bags to put the dresses in after they've been dyed. I also laid out the project guide from the tie-dye kit to give some tie-dying inspiration and instructions for techniques like swirls, stripes, bullseyes, and more!

I kept the dye in the middle of the table so that everyone can easily reach the colors of their choice. The dye bottles come with pre-measured dye, so all you have to do is add water! Mixing the dye couldn't be easier or quicker! For best results in your tie-dying, shake the dye bottles until the dye is completely dissolved, and use the dye within 45 minutes.

It was fun to see all the different colors and techniques used. Each dress was rolled, twisted, wrapped with rubber bands and dyed in beautiful color combinations. To keep your workspace mess-free, keep each dress in the bucket while being dyed. You can find tips, tutorials, and videos for all the different techniques at Tie Dye Your Summer.

Once the dresses are dyed, place them in Ziploc plastic bags. The dresses need to sit 6-8 hours after being dyed, and this is the best way for your guests to be able to take them home without getting the dye on anything along the way. I used smaller bags for the doll dresses, and gallon-sized bags for the girls' dresses. Keep all the rubber bands in place and if the dresses are twisted or rolled, keep them in the same shape for best results.

You can also download and print free printable tags from Tie Dye Your Summer for you to put on bags. The tags include instructions for rinsing, washing and drying the tie-dyed dresses after the 6-8 hour time is up. The best part of the tags is the space to put a name so no one's creations get mixed up!!

Every party needs snacks and beverages! Here is our tie-dye party table complete with punch, tie-dye cupcakes, and treats in every color to bring in the tie-dye theme. All the decor like the banner, tent cards, cupcake wrappers, and tiny tie-dyed t-shirts on the drink straws are all available as free printables at Tie Dye Your Summer to make your party planning a snap!!

Check out this video on assembling the tie-dye banner and other printables for your own party!

Once the dresses have been rinsed, washed, and dried they are ready to wear! The color stays brilliant, and since they are made from a t-shirt, the dresses are light enough to wear all summer long!!

Most importantly, the girls and their dolls look adorable in their matching dresses. My daughter is proud of her creation, and can't wait to make more tie-dye projects this summer!!