People are obsessed with tie-dying their clothes
Article by Darcy Schild of Insider
There might be a shortage of jigsaw puzzles on Amazon, but for many people, purchasing a tie-dye kit and transforming an otherwise plain outfit into a rainbow masterpiece is the next best way to unwind and find joy while stuck at home.
Search terms like “DIY tie-dye” and “tie-dye sweatsuit” surged in popularity on Google and YouTube the last week of March, and tie-dye kits are among Amazon’s current best sellers in Arts, Crafts, & Sewing.
The process for creating the vibrant print isn’t anything new, but the nostalgia factor of tie-dying, plus the ease and ability to find tutorials online, is making it a popular quarantine past time.
The tie-dye craze is being fueled by YouTube and TikTok creators
Several YouTube creators have recently leaned into tie-dying, pegging the colorful activity as the ultimate social distancing boredom cure.
For example, “Tie Dyeing Everything In My Closet Cuz I’m Stuck At Home” by YouTube creator Lauren Riihimaki, also known as LaurDIY, has received more than half a million views in a little over a week.
Other YouTube hosts, such as Kristee Vetter, Jordyn Rebecca, and Brooke Miccio, have shown thousands of viewers how they transformed plain sweatsuits purchased from Amazon for $20 or less into Urban Outfitters-worthy loungewear sets – which can retail for hundreds of dollars – using tie-dye kits and bleach.
TikTok is also a tie-dye treasure trove in its own right, with tons of tutorials that show users how different techniques and supplies, like bleach (and even toilet cleaner that contains bleach), can be used to achieve certain patterns or effects.
