Customize a tie dye bucket hat, perfect for summer! In just a few steps you’ll have your own tie dye bucket hats.
Table of Contents
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It’s safe to say I’ve been obsessed with tie dye for a while. And while I’ve dyed clothing, shoes, and Crocs, I haven’t yet shared how I’ve dyed hats. So this is all about how you can easily make adorable tie dye bucket hats!
Hats can be a little more challenging to dye since the brims are hard and you may think you won’t be able to dye them, but you can! With this simple technique, you’ll get a beautiful almost water color effect, while still having the classic pops of white. And while I use this technique, you can also use others including the ice tie dye technique or using pastel colors. Or if you have a colored hat, you can bleach tie dye it.
Be sure to also check out this guide on the best tie dye kits to find the right one.
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Which Bucket Hats are Best to Tie Dye?
You want to get one that is white and 100% cotton, but finding a bucket hat that is truly 100% cotton can be incredibly tricky to find. There are a lot advertised as cotton, but in reality they’re synthetic. It actually took me a while, but I was able to find this one on Amazon.
The reason you need 100% cotton is because polyester and other synthetic materials don’t absorb the dye from tie dye kits very well. I actually originally bought some bucket hats that said they were cotton, but learned they were synthetic while dyeing because they didn’t absorb the dye.
Then the white material helps the colors show up the best. However, you’re welcome to get a colored one, but know that the colors you dye it will come out slightly different. That being said, another option is to dye the hat with the bleach tie dye method in which you don’t use any dye at all!
The two hats below are 100% cotton so you can choose the style you like the best for your tie dye bucket hats.
Don’t forget to pin it so you can easily come back to it later!
Materials to Make a Tie Dye Bucket Hat
- 100% Cotton Bucket Hat (this is the one I used)
- Tie Dye Kit (I recommend this kit that comes with black and other colors)
- Soda Ash (in case the kit you get doesn’t come with soda ash, you can get some on Amazon)
- Rubber Bands (this is the pack I have) or zip ties (I like these reusable ones)
- Gloves (I like these since I have small hands)
- Small mixing containers (I like to use recycled yogurt containers) – optional
- Plastic spoons for mixing – optional
- Paper Towels
- Plastic Wrap
How to Make a Tie Dye Bucket Hat
For this tie dye bucket hat, I went with a super easy technique since the brim is challenging to work with. Because the brim is so thick, it’s very difficult to tie it up. Therefore you’re either left with dyeing the whole brim or if you do tie it, very little dye will get onto it.
That being said, if you want more of a challenge, here are all of my tie dye patterns.
Prepare the Tie Dye Bucket Hat
I always recommend first washing items before tie dyeing them. This removes any chemicals, oils, or anything else that may prevent your hat from accepting the dye.
So if you wash it first, then you can simply take them out of the wash. Otherwise, first wet the hat and squeeze out the excess water.
The easy way to tie dye a bucket hat is to twist the top of it, allowing the rest of it to twist as much as possible.
Then secure it with zip ties. I recommend using these since they’re reusable.
Put the last zip tie as close to the brim as possible.
Prepare the Soda Ash Mixture for the Tie Dye Bucket Hat
If you’re using a kit without soda ash, you can skip this step, though I don’t recommend it. I always recommend using soda ash when tie dyeing to get the most vibrant color. You can get an extra bag here.
You’ll want to mix 1 cup of soda ash to 1 gallon of warm water. Mix it until the soda ash is completely dissolved.
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Then soak the hat in the soda ash mixture for at least 20 minutes.
Tip: It’s a good idea to squish the hat and flip it over to make sure the mixture really soaks into it.
I like to do my tie dye projects at the same time so I’ll soak a bunch of items at once. In this case I also soaked it with some sweatpants, shirts, a zip hoodie, and a crop top.
Prepare the Dye
Put on your gloves (I recommend getting your own pair like these since the ones with the kit tend to be huge and terrible).
Prepare the dye according to the instructions on the tie dye kit. Typically you fill the bottle to the line with warm water and then shake it until the dye dissolves.
Tip: I recommend filling the bottle only a little bit and dissolving the dye in that. Then fill the bottle the rest of the way. This helps minimize any spills and leakage.
Tip #2: Did you know you can mix tie dye colors? You can! This is what I did since I wanted different colors than the dye came with. I made purple and mixed a different pink and blue into some recycled yogurt containers.
Dye the Bucket Hat
Lay down plastic wrap on the table and place the hat on top.
If you’re using dye from the bottle, start with one color and place it wherever you’d like. If you mixed your own, use a spoon to pour the dye onto the hat.
Leave plenty of white space to allow for other colors.
Tip: Press the dye into the hat to make sure it’s fully saturated.
Continue to add different colors randomly around the hat.
For the brim, be sure to add color on the inside and spread the folds of the brim. Otherwise, the brim will be left with large white spots.
Tip: Start with the lighter colors first (the opposite of what I did here) – so you’ll do pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds first.
Tip #2: Use a paper towel to wipe up as you change colors so you don’t get color where you don’t want it!
Make sure the bucket hat is fully dyed. You want it saturated, but not dripping.
(You can see the inside of the brim is also fully dyed).
Finish the Tie Dye Bucket Hat
Wipe up any excess dye with a paper towel. Then wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap.
Leave it to set wrapped up for at least 6 hours. However, I recommend leaving it for at least 24 hours to get the most vibrant colors.
While it’s setting, make sure it doesn’t dry out. The moisture from being wrapped in the plastic helps the dye process.
After the time is up, rinse it until the water runs clear.
I like to use cooler water first and then increase the temperature as the hotter water will cause the color to leave more quickly. Tip: Wear gloves while rinsing since there will still be some dye that comes out.
Then run it through the washing machine with other tie dye items just in case there’s an extra color bleeding.
Lastly, toss it in the dryer and your tie dye bucket hat is ready to wear!
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If you make your own tie dye bucket hats, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram @ab.crafty!
And here’s what the back of that hat looks like.
And lastly, here’s the top of the tie dye bucket hat. I just love the watercolor effect the random color patterns give! Such beachy vibes, making them great paired with some water shoes for the beach.
More Tie Dye Projects to Try
And be sure to find the right tie dye kit for your projects with this guide of the best tie dye kits.
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Tie Dye Bucket Hat
Customize a tie dye bucket hat, perfect for summer! In just a few steps you’ll have your own tie dye bucket hats.
Materials
- 1 100% White Cotton Bucket Hat
- 1 Tie Dye Kit
- 1 Cup Soda Ash
- 1 Gallon Water
- Zip Ties
- Rubber Gloves
- Mixing Containers optional
- Plastic Spoons optional
- Plastic Wrap
- Paper Towels
Equipment
- 1 Bucket or Plastic Bin
Instructions
Prepare the Bucket Hat for Dye
- Soak the hat in water and squeeze out the excess. Twist the top. (This is the one I used)1 100% White Cotton Bucket Hat
- Secure it with zip tiesZip Ties
Prepare the Soda Ash Mixture and Hat for Dye
- Soak the hat in soda ash solution for at least 20 minutes. Mix 1 cup soda ash with 1 gallon of warm water. You can get some on Amazon.1 Cup Soda Ash, 1 Gallon Water
Prepare the Dye for the Tie Dye Bucket Hat
- Put on the gloves and prepare the dye according to the instructions on the tie dye kit. Typically you fill the bottle to the line with warm water and then shake it until the dye dissolves.You can also mix your own colors in separate containers.1 Tie Dye Kit, Mixing Containers, Plastic Spoons, Rubber Gloves
Dye the Bucket Hat
- Lay down plastic wrap on the table and place the hat on top. Add the dye one color at a time, pushing the dye into the hat.Wipe up the area with a paper towel between colors.Plastic Wrap, Paper Towels
- Continue adding dye until it's all covered. Be sure to get the inside of the brim.
Finish the Tie Dye Bucket Hat
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it set for 24 hours.
- Rinse it until the water runs clear. Then run it through the washing machine. Then your tie dye bucket hat is ready to wear!
Daniela Kretchmer
Daniela is a lifelong crafter who loves to share her passion for crafting. Through classes or learning on her own, she likes to say she'll do pretty much any craft aside from scrapbooking. Her current personal obsessions include garden crafts, felting, and spinning yarn.
