Where do you get the dyes for tie dying?...or how do you make the dyes?

The best dyes for tie-dyeing can't be bought at the grocery store, but you can find them at any crafts store, and at most sewing stores, as well. Look for any good tie-dye kit. Good brands include Jacquard, Dylon, Tulip, and Rainbow Rock. Do NOT get the Rit all-purpose dye tie-dye kit, because the dyes will fade quickly and bleed badly in the laundry.

Good fiber reactive dyes, such as the Procion dye in the good brands of tie-dye kits, will last for years. Don't use all-purpose dye dye to tie-dye cotton, because it will start to fade the first time you wash it. All-purpose dye is also more expensive, because each box will dye only 4 to 8 ounces of fabric. The tie-dye kit will dye five to fifteen shirts, depending on which one you buy.

Homemade dyes are nice if you're not ever going to wash the shirts, but they will not last through regular washing. Tie-dye kits are better if you want to actually wear the shirts you make more than once or twice.

If you don't have a good crafts store near you, like Michael's or Hobby Lobby or Joann's, you can often find a good tie-dye kit at Walmart. Another option is to buy by mail-order. If you order your dyes from a good supplier like PRO Chemical & Dye or Dharma Trading Company, you won't be limited to the three colors found in most kits. There are more than a hundred different colors you can choose! Dharma Trading Company also sells cotton clothes that you can dye, not just t-shirts, but also dresses, dyeable swimsuits, pants, skirts, tablecloths, and so on.

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[This material was first posted, by me, on Yahoo answers, on June 8, 2008.]