Name: Haley
Message: Hi there. Before I order any fancy tie dye supplies, I want to just try my hand at it with the most basic stuff there is. Just for practice. Any suggestions of things I could maybe get at Wal-Mart.

There's no point whatsoever in trying to tie-dye with all-purpose dye, unless you plan to boil your tie-dyes in the dyebath (actually simmer at 190 degrees F. or above), for half an hour or more. All-purpose dye, such as Rit brand dye, simply does not work in cool water. This means that you cannot practice the squirt-bottle tie-dye technique unless you obtain a decent cold water dye. Instead, if you choose to use all-purpose dye, follow the hot water recipe. All-purpose dyes can never be as bright or long-lasting on cotton as fiber reactive dyes, but they are easy to find.

Many crafts stores, including some sewing stores, sometimes carry a "tie dye kit". The dye used in tie dye kits by Jacquard and by Rainbow Rock is the most popular type of fiber reactive dye, Procion MX type dye. These kits cost about the same, per shirt, as all-purpose dye. Mail-order fiber reactive dye is much cheaper, per shirt, but for small quantities, the crafts store kits are fine. For mail-order, see my list of companies that sell dyes.

Don't even try to dye polyester shirts, because neither all-purpose nor fiber reactive dye works on polyester. It's better to use 100% cotton.