Which tie-dye kits are best?

Tie-dye is a creative way to add a splash of color to your wardrobe or hearken back to the flower power fashion of the 1960s. Tie-dye kits come with everything you need to create this vibrant look at home, but when faced with so many similar products, which kit should you choose?

Before making your purchase, there are several factors to consider, but for a simple starter kit with easy-to-follow instructions, the Tulip One-Step 12-Color Tie Dye Kit is the top choice.

What to know before you buy a tie-dye it

What clothes can I tie-dye?

Almost any article of clothing can be tie-dyed, from shirts and handkerchiefs to hats and even pillowcases. Fabrics like cotton and linen are commonly used with a tie-dye kit because they absorb most, but nearly any natural fiber can be dyed.

How to tie-dye clothes

Always follow the instructions included in your tie-dye kit, as exact application steps can vary.

Clean your work area: The dye found in tie-dye kits can easily stain tabletops and furniture, so take the kit outside or prepare your area by laying down newspaper or plastic bags. Gloves are also recommended to prevent the dye from staining your hands.
Presoak the garment: Most kits come with a soda ash solution used before dyeing to help set the ink. Read the instructions for exact presoak times.
Twist and tie: Once your garment is presoaked, twist the fabric tightly and secure it with rubber bands. The twisting is what produces the iconic tie-dye look.
Use the dye: Prepare the dye by following your kit’s instructions, and use an applicator to add color.
Allow your dye to set: The exact time needed to set the dye typically depends on the quality of your kit.
Rinse and enjoy: The final step is to rinse any excess dye and admire your colorful creation! For best results, air dry your finished garments.
Soak in vinegar (optional): Many fans of the craft recommend soaking your new tie-dye garments in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water to lock in the color.

What to look for in a quality tie-dye kit

Items in a tie-dye kit

Tie-dye kits almost always have everything you need to make colorful clothing at home, but the exact accessories and tools can vary. Look for a kit that includes at least some of the following items:

Dye: While every tie-dye kit should come with at least a few dye options, some products will specialize in certain fun colors like pastel or neon. The more you’re willing to spend on a kit, the more colors you’re likely to receive.
Applicators: These small bottles hold the dye and usually have a pointed tip for design precision.
Ties: Often found in the form of rubber bands, small ties are used to secure the twisted fabric during the dyeing process.
Instructions: Every product is different, so make sure your kit contains detailed instructions to achieve the best results. Instruction booklets can also include fun design ideas and patterns.
Soda ash solution: Also known as fixer, a soda ash solution is used to soak the fabric before the dyeing process begins. Many modern kits don’t require this solution, so don’t worry if your kit doesn’t have it.

How much you can expect to spend on a tie-dye kit

Tie-dye kits are usually affordable, but prices can vary slightly depending on accessories and how many dyes are included. Most people can expect to spend around $10-$30 for a solid kit with multiple colors of dye.

Tie-dye kit FAQ

How do I wash tie-dye clothing?

A. The first time you wash your tie-dye garment, run it through a cold cycle with no other items and hang it to dry. After that, you can wash the garment with your regular loads of laundry.

Can kids use a tie-dye kit?

A. Yes. Tie-dyeing clothes can be a fun activity for any kid over the age of eight. To avoid a mess, wear gloves and spread newspaper or a plastic tarp onto your work surface.

What’s the best tie-dye kit to buy?

Top tie-dye kit

Tulip One-Step 12-Color Tie Dye Kit

What you need to know: This popular kit comes with twelve dyes and easy-to-use applicator bottles.

What you’ll love: Perfect for small parties and gatherings, this simple tie-dye kit requires only water to activate. No soda ash presoak is needed. The instruction booklet also comes with eight design ideas.

What you should consider: The applicator bottles are a little small, and colors fade more quickly than advertised.

Top tie-dye kit for the money

DOODLE HOG Pastel Tie Dye Kit

What you need to know: Pastel dyes can be tricky to find, so if you like pastels, this affordable kit is just what you need.

What you’ll love: Including fun pastel colors like pink, orange and teal, this affordable kit comes with everything you need. It includes six colors, two refill bags for each color, three soda ash bags, gloves, rubber bands and an instruction book.

What you should consider: The pastel dye may produce darker colors than what some users expected.

Tie-dye kit worth checking out

Kool Krafts Tie Dye Kit

What you need to know: This versatile starter kit comes with a lot of dye and four cotton shirts.

What you’ll love: This easy tie-dye kit is huge, featuring twelve nontoxic dyes, including uncommon colors like black and light blue. There are tons of bonus accessories like two disposable tablecloths and a dozen gloves, and the instruction manual is loaded with tips and tricks.

What you should consider: Some users felt that the included T-shirts were of poor quality.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

When Andrew Argeros was hired as the new head coach of the St. Paul Academy boys’ tennis team, he only knew “They had a very good program. What I didn’t realize is how deep they were.”

Argeros soon found out when 94 players showed up for the first tryouts.

The list was eventually whittled down to the 15 who took part in a historic performance at the MSHSL Class A tournament at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis. The Spartans swept all three foes by 7-0 scores to become the first school in league history to win four consecutive state tennis crowns. The tournament’s top seed looked the part Thursday with a win over No. 5 Breck in the semifinals in the morning and in the afternoon over No. 2 Rock Ridge.

“We peaked at the right time,” Argeros said.

Winston Arvidson, a freshman, stepped into the No.1 singles slot and led the way, losing just two games in three matches. Arvidson overwhelmed the Wolverines’ Payton Marks 6-0, 6-0 in just 40 minutes in the final. David Schumacher, a senior playing in the No. 2 slot, was equally impressive, rolling to a 6-0, 6-1 win in his championship outing.

What may have pleased Argeros even more was the play of junior Allen Wang and freshman Lucas Laguna.

“Allan has come a long way since the start of the season,” Argeros said.

Against Breck, he teamed with soph Isaak Senaratna for a win at No. 1 doubles. Wang moved to No. 3 singles for the Rock Ridge match and earned a 6-1, 6-4 win.

Laguna worked his way into the rotation, a move that paid off with a win at No. 4 singles against the Mustangs. He switched to doubles against Rock Ridge and paired up with fellow freshman Luca Kempcke for a decision at No. 3 doubles.

The court results speak for themselves, but Argeros took pains to note another aspect of his team that he particularly liked.

“I’m proud of how passionate they are and how they interact so well with each other,” he said.

Indeed, the whole team gathered to watch Aidan Williams win his No. 4 singles match 7-5, 6-2 to wrap up the school’s seventh state title.

The Spartans’ court work isn’t finished. Arvidson is the top seed in the Class A singles competition that starts Friday morning. Seniors Jacob Colton and Ben Macedo are the top seed in the doubles bracket.

Breck defeated Rochester Lourdes 4-3 for third place.

Class 2A

Wayzata won its third straight state title with a 6-1 win over Edina. Mounds View claimed third place by edging Rochester Mayo 4-3.

Related Articles

State softball: Champlin Park’s Ava Parent walks-off White Bear Lake

State softball roundup: Jefferson upsets Forest Lake in 4A semifinals

State tennis: St. Paul Academy takes first step on path to potential four-peat

Day 1 of state softball tournament wiped out by rain

A look at each east metro team in the state softball tournament

By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to block nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University, his latest attempt to choke the Ivy League school from an international pipeline that accounts for a quarter of the student body.

In an executive order signed Wednesday, Trump declared that it would jeopardize national security to allow Harvard to continue hosting foreign students on its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers,” Trump wrote in the order.

It’s a further escalation in the White House’s fight with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university. A federal court in Boston blocked the Department of Homeland Security from barring international students at Harvard last week. Trump’s order invokes a different legal authority.

Related Articles

Trump announces travel ban affecting a dozen countries set to go into effect Monday

Congressional letter obtained by AP outlines drastic job cuts expected at Voice of America

Army leaders defend parade and border spending as Congress presses for answers

Justice Department sues Texas over in-state tuition for students without legal residency

Trump orders investigation of Biden’s use of an autopen, claiming White House cover-up

It stems from Harvard’s refusal to submit to a series of demands made by the federal government. It has escalated recently after the Department of Homeland Security said Harvard refused to provide records related to misconduct by foreign students.

Harvard says it has complied with the request, but the government said the school’s response was insufficient.

The dispute has been building for months after the Trump administration demanded a series of policy and governance changes at Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and accusing it of tolerating anti-Jewish harassment. Harvard defied the demands, saying they encroached on the university’s autonomy and represented a threat to the freedom of all U.S. universities. Harvard President Alan Garber also disputed the government’s allegations, saying in a letter last month that the school is nonpartisan and has taken steps to root out antisemitism on campus.

Trump officials have repeatedly raised the stakes and sought new fronts to pressure Harvard, cutting more than $2.6 billion in research grants and moving to end all federal contracts with the university. The latest threat has targeted Harvard’s roughly 7,000 international students, who account for half the enrollment at some Harvard graduate schools.

The order applies to all students attempting to enter the United States to attend Harvard after the date of the executive order. It provides a loophole to allow students whose entry would “benefit the national interest,” as determined by federal officials.

Trump’s order alleges that Harvard provided data on misconduct by only three students in response to the Homeland Security request, and it lacked the detail to gauge if federal action was needed. Trump concluded that Harvard is either “not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.”

“These actions and failures directly undermine the Federal Government’s ability to ensure that foreign nationals admitted on student or exchange visitor visas remain in compliance with Federal law,” the order said.

For foreign students already at Harvard, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will determine if visas should be revoked, Trump wrote.

The order is scheduled to last six months. Within 90 days, the administration will determine if it should be renewed, the order said.

A State Department cable sent last week to U.S. embassies and consulates said federal officials will begin reviewing the social media accounts of visa applicants who plan to attend, work at or visit Harvard University for any signs of antisemitism.

In a court filing last week, Harvard officials said the Trump administration’s efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion.” Countless international students have asked about transferring from the university, Harvard immigration services director Maureen Martin said in the filing.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

NORTH MANKATO — Champlin Park senior outfielder Ava Parent saw her spot in the order heading into the bottom of the seventh inning and immediately began hoping for a chance.

It came with the bases loaded, two outs and the chance to be a hero.

Champlin Park (23-2) and White Bear Lake were tied 2-2 in the Class 4A semifinal at Caswell Park when Parent stepped up to the dish. She battled Bears ace Lilly Martin — terrific all game — tooth and nail, fouling off one pitch after another.

“I kept fouling pitches off and it was a high-intensity situation,” Parent said. “I just had to stay disciplined, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Finally, the Wisconsin commit found a pitch she could drive, striking a single to the outfield to send Champlin Park to the title game in the program’s first state tournament appearance. The second-seeded Rebels will meet fellow title game debutant Bloomington Jefferson at 9 a.m. Friday at the U.

“It means so much,” Parent said. “Champlin park softball has never been to the state tournament, let alone the state championship. So, it’s super incredible and we’re all excited to get going.”

White Bear Lake pitcher Lilly Martin throws a pitch during the Bears’ 3-2 loss to Champlin Park in the Class 4A state semifinals in North Mankato on June 4, 2025. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

White Bear Lake (19-7) didn’t make it easy. Thursday morning’s quarterfinal upset of third-seeded Farmington marked the sixth-seeded Bears’ 12th straight victory, a run that also included a sectional upset of Stillwater.

The Bears were playing their best softball at the right time.

And they came out of the gates fast in the semis with runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 advantage. The second run was scored by Maddy Belisle, who reached via one of her three hits in the game and essentially manufactured the score on the base paths from there.

But the offense dried up from there. White Bear Lake tallied single hits in numerous innings against Champlin Park ace Marissa Rothenberger, but couldn’t string anything else together.

“We started hot and kept swinging the bat,” White Bear Lake coach Jill Leverty said. “We couldn’t get the last couple to fall, but other than that, I thought we did pretty good.”

It looked like that might be enough offense to hold, too. Particularly given how Martin was rolling. The Rebels had just one hit through the first four innings.

“We were all stressing out a bit,” Parent admitted.

But it was the No. 9 hitter, Layla Nguyen, who broke the seal for the Rebels in the fifth with a two-out, two-run single that knotted the contest.

“They might not have played their best, but each of them picked each other up when they needed it,” Champlin Park coach Bryan Woodley said.

Rothenberger — who threw a complete game, allowing just one earned run — opened the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double. A walk and a single eventually set the table for Parent, who, to the surprise of no one, delivered.

“She’s always clutch,” Woodley said. “I think she’s the best centerfielder in the state. She’s just a great all-around player.”

Related Articles

State softball roundup: Jefferson upsets Forest Lake in 4A semifinals

Day 1 of state softball tournament wiped out by rain

A look at each east metro team in the state softball tournament

Metro softball players sue Ellison, MSHSL director over transgender athlete participation