Gather old clothes white pillowcase bucket rubber gloves plastic 6-ounce squeeze bottles (one for each color) permanent fabric dye, your choice of colors* rubber bands plastic grocery bags (*You may want to purchase a tie-dye kit, which includes dye, soda ash and bottles.)

1. Before you begin, wash pillowcases with laundry detergent. Do not dry.
2. Lay damp pillowcase flat on the grass and plan your pattern. For a bull's-eye, begin with a 2-inch handful of fabric in the center of pillowcase. Tightly loop a rubber band around fabric. Repeat at 4-inch intervals. Use your imagination to create any pattern with the rubber bands.
3. Put on rubber gloves and follow package directions to mix dye in squeeze bottles. Adjust the water-to-dye ratio, depending on your preference for vivid or pastel shades.
4. Squirt dye onto fabric. Open the folds of fabric near the rubber bands and squirt more dye. Do not saturate the item to the point that it drips or the colors will run together.
5. Place pillowcase in a plastic bag and let it sit overnight.
6. Wearing rubber gloves, rinse pillowcase with the hose until water runs clear. Remove rubber bands and rinse. Squeeze out excess water.
7. Wash pillowcase alone, without soap, on hottest washing machine setting. Dry it alone. Wash separately one more time. Then item can be safely washed with similar colors. Note: Try tie-dying other items: T-shirts, beach towels, headscarves or tablecloths.

—Lisa Bates and Sue Lowell Gallion

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