Hi, I'm Maria, the maker behind Floorboard Findings. I hand ice-dye apparel one piece at a time in my studio in York, Pennsylvania. Floorboard Findings is a one-woman show: the person who dyes your shirt, sweatshirt or hoodie is the same person who rinses it, folds it and ships it to you.
How it started
I have a Bachelor's in Art from California University of Pennsylvania, and color has always been the part I care about most. Floorboard Findings began in 2014 with handmade Swarovski crystal jewelry that I sold on Etsy and to clients at the salons where I worked. In 2019 I opened the Floorboard Findings Shopify store, and I have been ice dyeing since 2021. Ice dye turned out to be the medium that pulled together everything I love about color. I still make crystal jewelry too.
I'm a mom of two girls, and my husband, Cory, is a firefighter and paramedic, which is part of why custom fire department apparel is close to my heart.
How each piece is made
Every garment starts as a blank, often Comfort Colors, Gildan or Bella+Canvas depending on the style. I soak it in soda ash, then fold or scrunch it by hand, mound ice over it and sprinkle Procion MX dye on top. It sits for about 24 hours while the ice melts. That slow melt is the magic: it carries the dye through the fabric and splits a single color into its separate pigments, so no two pieces ever come out the same. Then each piece is rinsed until the water runs clear, washed and finished individually.
New colorways come out in monthly drops. You pick the colorway, style and size while the drop is open, and I dye it for you, usually in about 5 to 7 days of studio time. If you want something now, ready-to-ship pieces are already dyed, and each listing shows the exact garment you'll get. Colorways that come off the schedule go into the retired colorways archive.
What I make
- Tie-dye shirts: tees, long-sleeves, tanks and racerbacks, plus some youth sizes
- Crewneck sweatshirts and hoodies
- Seasonal colorways for Halloween and Christmas
- DIY ice dye boxes and blanks, if you want to try it yourself
- Handmade crystal jewelry
Who it's for
Floorboard Findings is for anyone who wants color with personality and a piece nobody else has. I also dye and print for boutiques, campgrounds, fire departments, schools and small businesses through wholesale and custom orders.
Questions about an order, sizing or a custom idea? Get in touch. Care tips are in the ice-dye washing guide.