• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tried & True Creative logo

  • Creative Library
  • Craft Index
    • Printables
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Gifts
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Coloring
    • Cricut
    • Kids
    • Sewing
    • Home
    • Wreaths
  • Coloring Pages
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Craft Index
  • Tried & True Creative Library
  • Coloring Pages
  • Kids
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Kids » Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilk Tutorial

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilk Tutorial

    Published: Jul 17, 2013 · Modified: Jul 17, 2013 · by Vanessa Brady · This post may contain affiliate links and ads · 26 Comments

    Make these beautiful Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks for you kids!

    This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience and to help maintain this site.

    I wrote a post about Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks three years ago and it’s still one of my most popular tutorials. The only problem is that it’s not technically a tutorial! There’s only one picture and no actual instructions on how to make them (I obviously was still getting the hang of a craft blog!) Since I had to make a new set of playsilks for nephew, I figured I’d revisit the Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilk tutorial and add some actual instructions for you all!

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks

    Materials:

    • Kool-Aid
    • Silk Scarves (I purchased 6 30″ square scarves from Darma Trading Co.)
    • Vinegar

    Instructions:

    1. Based on the colors you want, assemble your Kool-Aid packs. You can reference the handy chart at the bottom of this post to determine which color combinations you want.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Dye

    2. Place silk scarves in a pot of hot water with 2 tablespoons vinegar for 30 minutes to help the fibers absorb the colors. Remove one scarf at a time to dye.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Boil

    3a. Stove Method: In a separate pot, pour 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and Kool-Aid packs. Dissolve thoroughly over low heat.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Pour

    3b. Microwave Method: In a glass bowl, pour 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and Kool-Aid packs. Dissolve thoroughly.

    koolaKool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Microwave

    4a. Stove Method: Place silk scarf into pot and stir to disperse dye. Continue stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, making sure the scarf is absorbing the color evenly.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Add

    4b. Microwave Method: Place the scarf in the glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for three minutes and allow to sit for three more.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Microwave2

    5. Allow scarf to cool. Over a colander, begin to rinse/wring your scarf until water runs clear.

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Rinse6. Set your scarves to dry in the sun while you endlessly try to keep your kids away from them! 😀

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - DryNotice how the scarf on the right in the picture above has more of a tie dye effect to it? That one was done in the microwave and the one on the left was on the stove. It seems that the scarves I did on the stove top had more uniform coverage than the ones done in the microwave. I like the way both of them look but you can decide which method you prefer!

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - LabelAssembled in a box with a pretty little card, Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks make wonderful gifts! And in case you’re wondering what kids do with playsilks…

    Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks - Play

    And here’s that handy little chart of Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilk colors:

    playsilks_colors

     

    Previous Post: « Vintage Hot Air Balloon
    Next Post: Beach Memory Keepers »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leigh says

      July 17, 2013 at 8:39 am

      When I do this on the stove top, I leave the scarves in until they absorb all the colour from the water. I also usually make a few sets at one time.

      Two years later, these are among our most played with toys. I am making bigger ones for Christmas.

      Reply
      • Vanessa Brady says

        July 18, 2013 at 7:32 pm

        Making a few sets at a time is a great idea!

        Reply
      • Polly says

        July 04, 2015 at 10:37 pm

        I absolutely love!!!toys kids can use with their imaginations!!!- where everything isn’t proscribed for them!:) I think its great training for life later!I’m an elem. school teacher, and a mom of 5. I’ve seen that its a great asset when kids/teens can amuse/entertain themselves Hopefully, kids who have time/supplies/practice for a lot of creative play won’t be saying ‘I’m bored/, there’s nothing to do’ 10 yrs from now when the batteries run out in their Gameboy, but I hear that from my kids, too:(

        Reply
    2. Julia says

      July 18, 2013 at 11:26 am

      Can you wash the scarves (in the washing machine) after they’ve been played with?

      Reply
      • Vanessa Brady says

        July 18, 2013 at 7:30 pm

        I would wash them separately a few times before throwing it in the wash with other colors.

        Reply
    3. Leigh says

      July 18, 2013 at 9:04 pm

      Mine machine wash just fine. I make the smaller 22″ squares in a rainbow as my standard baby or first birthday gift.

      Reply
    4. Megan says

      August 29, 2013 at 7:48 pm

      Would cotton flats work as well?

      Reply
      • millie says

        November 16, 2014 at 10:18 am

        No, Kool Aid dyes protein fibres: wool, silk, hair, fur.

        Reply
        • Jen says

          July 11, 2016 at 12:34 pm

          And fingernails… as I type with green nails.

    5. Miriam says

      May 12, 2014 at 12:03 pm

      If you dye multiple scarves at one time, is there enough Kool-Aid (dye) in this mix to dye several or would you need to increase the amount of Kool-Aid?

      Reply
      • Vanessa Brady says

        May 12, 2014 at 1:24 pm

        I would increase the Kool-Aid packages. The scarves soak up most of the dye the first time around!

        Reply
        • Miriam says

          May 12, 2014 at 7:24 pm

          Thanks Vanessa! I’m hoping for rich, vibrant scarves so I was guessing that I might need to head back to the grocery store for more Kool-Aid packets. Thanks for your advice.

    6. Heather says

      December 09, 2014 at 8:09 am

      Great tutorial! On the color chart: for red, I see two cherry packets and two ??? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Laura Pankey says

        December 28, 2016 at 12:31 pm

        It looks like Lemon-lime mixed with something else. The writing on the packet is blurry, and googling the flavors didn’t get me anywhere!! I didn’t see a packet out there that looked just like the one pictured. Wish I could help!

        Reply
        • Laura Pankey says

          December 28, 2016 at 12:37 pm

          Just found it! It’s called Jamaica.

    7. Polly says

      July 04, 2015 at 10:31 pm

      Dear Tried & True-Did you always start with white scarves?And did you tie or knt any of the fabric in elastic bands, like you would with traditional tie-dye?

      Reply
      • Vanessa Brady says

        July 05, 2015 at 11:01 am

        I’ve always used blank white scarves and wanted them to be solid so didn’t use any tie dye techniques. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Polly says

      July 05, 2015 at 11:32 am

      u uDse white vinegar, or does it not matter?

      Reply
    9. Polly says

      July 05, 2015 at 11:35 am

      Is there a difference between method 3a and 4a? thjey’re both dtove top and I don’t see a difference.

      Reply
    10. Mrs V says

      July 06, 2015 at 10:13 am

      Hi- How do you use the koolaid as a hair dye? I’d love to know 🙂

      Reply
    11. Lily says

      April 21, 2016 at 5:08 pm

      Thank you for showing pics of boys playing with play silks! Seems most pics of kids playing with play silks are of girls. And of course, the tutorial!

      Reply
    12. Robin says

      October 23, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      Yes Kool Aid is a wonderful way to Dye Clothes and Such.
      I myself have a Great Idea? I’ve got to try this in my Hair? . I did it in March only did longer part . It’s October and a Pretty Pink! It stays for A LONG TIME!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Craftaholics Anonymous® | Introducing the 2014 Creative Team says:
      27 January 2014 at 5:31 pm

      […] Three projects to check out: I Love Everything About You Coloring Print, Homemade Body Wash, Kool Aid Dyed Playsilk […]

      Reply
    2. 5 Days of Spring Studies: Dying Playsilks says:
      10 April 2014 at 7:02 am

      […] with your kids is with kool-aid, but there are SO many possibilities.  For kool-aid dying, I like Tried & True’s tutorial, because at the bottom, she shows you exactly which kool-aid flavors to use to make whatever color […]

      Reply
    3. 25 Kool Aid Projects - Reasons To Skip The Housework says:
      14 May 2014 at 11:41 am

      […] Kool-Aid Dyed Playsilks :: Tried and True Blog […]

      Reply
    4. 5 Easy Ways to Use Kool Aid as a Fun Dye says:
      29 June 2014 at 6:09 pm

      […] Cloth – This is fun and especially for kids of all ages, dye silk scarves, t-shirts, dying other fabrics with Kool Aid, tie-dye t-shirts), and use these techniques to create […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Project Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to T&T!

    About Tried & True
    Hi, I'm Vanessa Brady and I'm a life-long crafter and mother of three kids. I love creating craft tutorials that are quick, easy, and fun to make! More...

    Choose By Holiday

    • School
    • Christmas
    • Autumn
    • Summer
    • Spring
    • Dia de Los Muertos
    • Valentine's Day
    • Halloween

    Footer

    Tried & True - About

    Amazon Associates Disclosure

    Tried & True Creative is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Terms of Use

    If you'd like to share a project, feel free to link back, use a small quote, or grab a tutorial picture. Please refrain from publishing entire articles. All tutorials, patterns, and printables are for personal use only. Thanks for visiting!
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Tried & True Creative Library

    Copyright © 2021 Tried & True Creative on the Seasoned Pro Theme