Level of difficulty: A bit involved but totally worth it

Age range: 5+

Safety first: Wear a safety mask and gloves when dealing with dye products. Even if labelled non-toxic, they can still be caustic and will definitely stain.

The takeaway: This is a great weekend project that comes with a side lesson of colour theory. Plus, you get a really cool shirt after and it’s a great way to give a second life to dingy old t-shirts.

You’ll need:

painters’ tape

elastic band

gloves, smock and mask

red and green dye, mixed according to package instructions

four buckets or containers: One large and three small, as shown above

a white t-shirt

black fabric marker

Step 1: Prep
1. Wash your t-shirt, but don?t dry it. Next, soak it in a dye fixative, which will keep the dye from fading in the washing machine.

(You can skip this step if your dye doesn?t specify it in the instructions.)
2. Put on a smock and gloves and tie back your hair. If you’re mixing powdered dyes, wear a face mask.
3. Inside of the large bucket, pour the green dye into one small container and the red dye into the other. Place the third small container upside down. This is where your t-shirt will rest while it dries.

Step 2

Apply tape to the wet t-shirt where you want separation between the two colours. Use an elastic band to secure the tape. The dye will still bleed through, but the space will be protected from obvious splashes or fingerprint stains.

Step 3

Lay ...