Easy Tie Dye Coffee Filter Craft

This tie dye coffee filter craft is easy and fun for all ages! I even got in on the fun and made one with the kids. You can do this activity any time of year and it’s great for ages 2+ (with adult supervision).

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Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

• squirt bottle
• coffee filters
• washable markers
• rocks or small weights (to hold it down while it dries)
• tape

*NOTE* My kids love doing crafts of any kind so we keep a variety of craft supplies on hand. I did have to buy the coffee filters, but found a pack at the dollar store. They also have washable markers and squirt bottles so if you need to pick up these items before starting, it’s not an expensive one to buy supplies for.

First, pull out a coffee filter and flatten it out with your hands. It will flatten more as it gets colored and when you squirt it.

Use washable markers to color a design or picture on the coffee filter.

Here are a few tips for a better finished look:

• Larger, more abstract designs work better
• Thicker lines are better than thin ones
• White space on the coffee filter will get mostly filled in by any colors next to it
• Bold and bright colors are better than pastels

After you’ve finished coloring the coffee filter, take it outside and place it on the cement or other flat surface. Set your squirt bottle to a fine mist and hold it 8-10 inches above the colored coffee filter before spraying. You don’t need much water to get it wet since it spreads quickly. (Too much water can cause the colors to get muddy rather than spread out.)

Set a rock or something else to weigh the coffee filter down while it dries. If it’s a hot day, it will dry fairly quickly. However, if you’re doing this activity in the cooler months, I’d recommend using a plastic tray or something you don’t mind if it gets marker on it to spray it and then put it in the sun to dry. Another option would be to use a hair dryer on low to dry it out.

Once it’s dry, you can hang it up on a window, door, fridge or anywhere else you want to display it!

I love this craft because it uses inexpensive items so my kids can make as many as they want. Also, because the markers are washable I don’t have to worry about it making a big mess. You could even do this entire activity outside.

If you like this tie dye coffee filter craft, be sure to check out the suncatcher crafts I have here on my blog as well!