Make a tie dye picnic blanket

In this hands-on design and technology project for KS3, students will unleash their creativity and artistic flair as they tie-dye picnic blankets. Through the fascinating art of tie-dyeing, they will explore colour combinations, patterns, and techniques, making their picnic blankets functional and uniquely stylish.

Activity: Make a tie dye picnic blanket

This activity is part of a series of free STEM resources created to enable students to enhance their understanding and proficiency in Design and Technology, Engineering, Science, and Mathematics, all while incorporating summer-related themes. This particular resource is perfect for the summer season and can be undertaken within a school setting or from the comfort of one's home.

This activity centres around tie-dying a blanket to create a vibrant summer picnic blanket. The tie-dyeing process is an excellent means to infuse fabrics with colour and visual appeal. Can you harness this technique to create a fun and interesting picnic blanket?

Learners will produce samples for a picnic blanket using different tie-dyeing techniques to add visual interest. They will then produce a full-sized version using their favourite technique or design.

This activity could be used as a main lesson to teach learners about dyeing techniques within textiles or as part of a wider scheme of learning covering manufacturing processes and finishing techniques.

How long will this activity take to complete?

This activity will take approximately 70-100 minutes to complete. Download the activity sheet below for a step-by-step guide on how to tie-dye a blanket that can be used during summer picnics!

What materials will you need?

Squeezy bottles; Fabric dye; Elastic bands/string; Plastic gloves; washing up bowl; Salt, if required.

The engineering context

Our clothing comes in a diverse array of colours to avoid monotony. Engineers and designers employ various finishing techniques on a wide range of materials, including textiles.

Suggested learning outcomes

By the end of this activity, students will be able to understand what is meant by tie-dyeing and its applications, they will be able to produce samples for picnic blankets using different tie-dyeing techniques, and they will be able to produce a full-size picnic blanket using tie-dyeing.

Download the free activity sheet below!

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools' needs.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation