As we’ve been testing different tie dye methods over the past year in preparation for our new tie dye book, we completely fell in love with natural dyes. We tried dyeing with hibiscus tea, turmeric, and avocado pits and each was a lovely success (you can see the projects we made with each in our book, DIY Guide to Tie Dye Style), but our favorite had to be the avocado pits. Believe it or not, dyeing with avocado pits produces the most lovely shade of blush pink that we thought would be the absolute sweetest on a new baby girl. So, we tried it out on a tie dye onesie and swaddle and the results were even sweeter than we expected!
Here is what you’ll need to make your own:
Supplies needed to make Baby Tie Dye Onesie and Swaddle Set
White cotton swaddle blanket
White cotton onesie
Rubber bands
Avocado seeds
Stainless steel pot (dedicated to dyeing)
Water
Tongs
How to make Baby Tie Dye Onesie and Swaddle Set
Step 1: Thoroughly wash the avocado pits so there is no remaining green flesh on them.
Step 2: Add 5 cups of water to your pot with 5 avocado pits. Simmer the pits in the water for about 30 minutes. It should turn dark red.
Step 3: While the dye is simmering, soak the onesie and blanket in water, then bind them with rubber bands following your favorite technique (we did stripes).
Step 4: When the dye is ready, turn off the heat, then submerge the onesie and blanket in the dye.
Step 5: Let them sit in the dye until they’ve reached the desired color. The longer they sit, the darker they will get. Ours soaked in the dye for about an hour.
Step 6: Carefully remove the onesie and blanket from the dye and rinse until the water runs clear. If, after rinsing, you’d like the color to be darker, just put them back in the dye for more time. Remove the rubber bands and let them dry.
Step 7: You can then wash and dry your set in the laundry. Be aware that natural dyes will fade gradually over time.
Happy making!
Sam
Hi, the instructions say 2 cups of water and 2 avocado pits, but the picture shows 5 avocado pits and what looks like more than 2 cups of water?
I updated the post! I had copied the instructions from a smaller batch project and missed that! Thanks for letting us know!
Okay thank you! Looking forward to trying this and just wanted to make sure I had the proportions right