Tie-dyeing is a time-honored handicraft of the Bai ethnic group, who mainly inhabit southwest China's Yunnan Province . To make the dye, woad leaves are collected and fermented in a pit until they are indigo in color. White cloth is tied and sewn into various patterns by hand and then dyed. After the cloth is dried and rinsed, designs of bees, butterflies, plum blossoms, fish, or insects appear with an artistic effect that cannot be achieved by painting.

Different kinds of dyes are available in stores and tie-dying is a simple process which is a lot of fun to do. All you need is a piece of fabric, dye, and fasteners to keep the dye from penetrating and to create patterns. Why not have a go following these easy steps?

Wash the material to remove any chemicals that may be in the fabric;
Dry the material completely before dyeing;
Tye it with patterns you like using fasteners;
Add the dye. Be sure to use enough dye to fully saturate the material;
Allow the fabric to dry completely before removing the fasteners;
Remove the fasteners and admire your artwork;
Wash the material thoroughly in cold water.

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