Juggling the demands of high school is tough enough. Senior Chris Murray and junior Lucie Vleugels, however, operate a tie dye business on the side.

The two started their Chris and Lucie’s Tie Dye business in late September of last year after developing tie dye as a hobby. The two had been friends prior to starting their business together.

“We are really good friends and we usually tie dye together anyways so it was an easy partner choice,” Murray, who has been tie dying since fourth grade, said.

Vleugels and Murray realized that their hobby could be a monetary success after wearing their own creations throughout school and getting positive responses from peers.

“Lucie and I were both wearing tie dye shirts and getting a lot of comments,” Murray said. “People were asking if we made shirts and if they could buy them, so we started selling them. I realized our success when Lucie and I realized we really enjoyed what we were doing and received the positive feedback from people we sell shirts to.”

“We decided to start our own business because we both wanted to have some extra pocket money anyways,” Vleugels said. “Since we both love tie dyeing it was the perfect way for us to make money.”

Vleugels and Murray handle all aspects of the business, including the creating of merchandise and financials. Murray handles the sales aspect while both collaborate on the creation process.

Most sales are done in person with shirts selling for $15 and socks for $10. In addition to face-to-face sales, Chris and Lucie’s Tie Dye has a Facebook page that shows old shirts that are buy one, get one $5 off.

After gaining success in tie dying t-shirts, the two began looking at opportunities to expand.

One way they achieved this goal was by taking on requests for more challenging items to dye. One such item was junior Marika Ottman’s Jeep tire cover, which both agree was the most difficult item to dye to date.

“I was searching for a new tire cover and found a fabric one,” Ottman said. “Then I thought it would be cool to have it personalized, so what better way than tie dye. I can’t tie dye to save my life, and I knew Chris and Lucie were talented and trustworthy. So they did it for me and I love it. It’s faded from the rain but I’m planning on getting it done again.”

Vleugels and Murray have plans in the works to tie dye tank tops that will soon be available.

Although they have now become a popular South Lakes trend, Murray and Vleugels have encountered difficulties throughout their time as a business.

“The most challenging part of starting a business was getting the word out to people outside of South Lakes students,” Murray said.

Both find the steps in the actual creation of the tie dye shirts the most rewarding part of their business. Murray specifically mentioned that he enjoys opening the shirts right after they have been dyed, while Vleugels enjoys the entire process.

For more information on Chris and Lucie’s Tie Dye, visit the business’ Facebook page.