Tie dye beach towels are one of the hardest things you can tie dye, and I say that after years of tie dyeing basically everything I own. It’s not the folding that trips people up, it’s the fabric. Towels are thick and incredibly absorbent, which means they soak up dye fast and need a lot more of it than a t-shirt ever would. Once you know that going in, though, tie dye beach towels are honestly one of the most satisfying projects to pull off, because the payoff is a giant, colorful statement piece instead of just another shirt.
I made this pair as a gift for my sister, one cool toned and one warm toned, using a classic shibori triangle fold. Here’s exactly how I did it.
Can You Tie Dye Beach Towels?
Yes, you can absolutely tie dye beach towels, but the fabric matters a lot more than it does with a t-shirt. Towels are usually 100% cotton, which is exactly what you want for fiber reactive dye to bond properly. The catch is thickness. A towel has way more fabric surface soaking up dye than a t-shirt does, so you need to use more dye than you think, and you need to rinse more thoroughly afterward too. The cheaper the towel, the easier it will be. But unfortunately they’re not as plush. I used Ikea towels that have waffle knit on one side and terry cloth on the other.
What Are the Best Blank Beach Towels for Tie Dye?
For this project I used IKEA towels, and I really can’t recommend them enough for a first attempt. They’re about $10 each, so if something goes sideways it’s not a huge loss. They also have two different textures on each side (one side is a waffle knit, the other is terry cloth), which gives you two totally different looks depending on which side ends up facing out in your fold.
When you’re shopping for white beach towels for tie dye, look for:
- 100% cotton (no poly blends, they won’t take dye well)
- A tight enough weave that the fold lines will actually show
- A size you’re comfortable folding by hand, since towels get bulky fast once you start accordion folding. For example a ‘bath sheet’ is quite a bit larger than a typical ‘bath towel’
Supplies You’ll Need
- White or light colored 100% cotton beach towels
- Soda ash
- Rubber bands or fold clips (I used Magic Tracks)
- Fiber reactive dye in your chosen colors
- Ice (if you’re doing the ice dye method)
- Dawn dish soap for the rinse
- Color catcher sheets for the first few washes
If you want to shop the exact type of dye I used for this project, my Amazon storefront and Walmart storefront both have my go-to supplies linked, and Jacquard dyes are 20% off with code ANNA.
How to Tie Dye Beach Towels: The Shibori Fold
This is a classic triangle shibori fold, and once you get the rhythm down it’s genuinely not hard, it’s just repetitive.
- Accordion fold along one edge. Start folding your towel back and forth along the short edge to create an accordion strip.
- Turn it to make a triangle. Once your accordion strip is folded, turn the strip to the side and fold it into a triangle shape.
- Keep flipping along the long edge. From here you’re just repeating a pattern: flip along the long edge, then the short edge, then the long edge again. Short edge, long edge, short edge, long edge, all the way down the towel.
- Secure it. Use rubber bands or fold clips to hold the triangle in place. I put mine on the long edge rather than the triangle point, since that’s where I wanted the dye to sit.
If this is your first time doing a shibori fold, go slow. It’s a small, repeatable motion, and it clicks faster than it sounds once your hands get used to it.
Applying the Dye
Because towels are so absorbent, I don’t recommend soda ash soaking them the normal way, since you’ll have to ring them out afterward and that’s a mess with something this thick. Instead, I use a trick I call the soda ash sprinkle: sprinkle soda ash dry directly onto the folded towel instead of soaking it in a bath first. No ringing out required.
For my cool toned towel, I used Northern Lights (a purple and blue blend) and Alchemist, an ice dye specific color. For the warm toned towel, I used Tangerine paired with Phoenix Flame, another ice dye color. Tangerine isn’t technically made for ice dyeing, but it splits beautifully when used that way, which is one of my favorite things about it.
Apply your dye generously. Towels need noticeably more dye than a t-shirt to get the same saturation, so don’t be shy.
If You’re Ice Dyeing
Cover the dyed, folded towel with ice, let it melt, then add a second full layer of ice on top. You can flip the towel over partway through to check if the color is soaking all the way through to the other side.
If You’re Using Liquid Dye Instead
This whole process works with liquid tie dye too. Skip the sprinkle and ice steps and just mix up your dye as usual, then squirt it directly onto the folded towel the same way you would a shirt.
Setting the Color and Rinsing
Let your towel sit for at least a few hours, ideally 24, before rinsing. If you want to speed things up, here’s my trick: wrap the towel in plastic wrap and microwave it for about 2 minutes, then let it sit until it cools completely. This isn’t necessary, but it’s a fast way to feel confident your colors are locked in.
When you’re ready to rinse:
- Rinse in cool water first
- Then rinse in hot water
- Finish with a wash using Dawn dish soap
Here’s the part that catches people off guard with towels specifically: because they’re so absorbent, they hold onto extra dye longer than a t-shirt does. You will need to rinse and rinse and rinse again before the water runs clear.
Washing Your Tie Dye Beach Towels
Wash your towels separately for the first few loads, no exceptions. They will bleed. Using a color catcher sheet in those first few washes is an easy way to protect anything else in the load, and I’ve got the ones I use linked on my Amazon storefront. After two or three hot water washes, your towels should stop bleeding onto other laundry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tie dye beach towels? Yes. As long as the towel is 100% cotton, it will take fiber reactive dye well. Just plan on using more dye than you would for a t-shirt, since towels are much more absorbent.
What kind of beach towels work best for tie dye? Look for 100% cotton towels with a tight weave. Affordable options like IKEA towels work great for beginners since the low cost takes the pressure off if your first attempt doesn’t turn out exactly how you pictured it.
Do tie dye beach towels need more dye than a t-shirt? Yes, significantly more. Towels are thick and soak up dye fast, so apply it more generously than you would on a shirt.
How do you keep tie dye beach towels from bleeding in the wash? Wash them separately for the first two to three washes and use a color catcher sheet. Rinse thoroughly in cool then hot water with dish soap before that first wash to remove as much excess dye as possible upfront.
Can you tie dye beach towels with liquid dye instead of ice dye? Yes. The fold and application process is the same, you’ll just mix and apply liquid dye instead of sprinkling powder dye and covering with ice.
