One of a Kynd Tie-Dye. Seal Cove, Newfoundland, Canada.

The Fold - This is the first opportunity for creativity in making a tie-dye. There are many different kinds of folds, and tie-dye artists are always improving their crafts by experimenting with new folds. A few good folds to begin with are the accordion, the scrunch, and the spiral. With these 3 folds used alone or together you will have endless combinations of designs. The accordion fold is a very important one for any shape, so be sure to always practice. As you get more used to working with different fabric weight, you will be able to make more intricate designs.

The Spiral - This is a very good beginner’s fold. Get yourself a fork (yes, I said a fork), and lay your shirt flat. Stick a fork in the center of the shirt (or the center of your spiral) and twist, keeping the fabric as flat to the table as possible. See, I told you it was easy!!!!

The scrunch - This is also a good beginner’s fold, and one that you will use in almost every dye you do in some capacity. The scrunch fold is done the way it sounds. You scrunch the fabric together with your fingers, again keeping it as flat to the table as possible. This fold yields some really wicked designs when inked up. I like to think of it as the Rorshach inkblot test on t-shirts. We spend loads of time looking at completed tie-dyes and figuring out what shapes we see. It’s especially fun because when you are tying and dyeing you cannot really plan the way the inkblots will look.

Accordion Fold - This basic fold is a very important one if you want to learn to make shapes and designs in your tie-dyes. It can be as simple as a horizontal line across your chest, or as complicated as a peace sign or alien. Practice the fold several times before you tie it, but remember the fold does not need to be perfect. Every difference in the way you fold will yield a different result, so play around with it and have some fun.

I like to think of folding for tie-dye like making snowflake cutouts, remember those? You start with a regular sheet of paper and then fold it several times. You cut out small pieces, and when you unfold it, it is a unique snowflake. Well think of the folding of the shirt as the folding of the paper, and think of the dyeing as the cutting of the paper. Repeating patterns create beautiful designs.

Of course, once you have finished folding your tie-dye, you need to Tie it so it will hold its shape for the dyeing process. Using butcher’s twine, secure all folds well, but not so tight that the dye will not be able to penetrate. The tighter the folds, the harder it is for the dye to seep into the inner folds. This will leave you with more white spaces. If you tie it too loosely though, it will fall apart while you are dyeing it and make a real mess. Like everything in life, it just takes some practice to get the right tension in the ties.