How to Dye a Dress
You got a great deal on some fabric, but it really isn't your color. You go ahead and sew a dress using it, but you still aren't satisfied. Or you see a ready to wear dress that isn't your color, but you like the style and the way the fabric feels. There are many ways to change the color to something more pleasing. The trick is to know what colors of dye will work best with your dress and fabric.
Things You'll Need
- A color chart
- Bleaching agent (lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine bleach)
- Coloring agent (dye, tea bags, onion skins, berries, red clay dirt)
Instructions
-
-
1
Use the color charts in the resources at the end of this article to help decide what color you want your finished garment to be. If your dress is already a dark color, you will either have to choose a darker color or bleach it lighter if you want to use a light color.
-
2
Snip a little of the fabric from an inside seam. Cut it into three pieces. Drop one in lemon juice, one in hydrogen peroxide, and one in bleach. Decide which piece is light enough for the color you have chosen. Use the chemical which lightens your fabric best without damaging it. Be sure to use adequate ventilation when using chlorine bleach, and do not mix it with other chemicals. If you can smell bleach fumes, you do not have adequate ventilation.
-
-
3
Check your dress to be sure it is all one uniform color, with no spots or stains. If it is spotted or stained, you will need to use a spot cleaner or stain remover before you dye your dress.
-
4
Follow directions on the dye package, or use the resources at the end of this article to make your own homemade dye using natural objects. Be sure your water is hot and you have a way to keep the garment in motion while it is in the dye. A paddle or broom handle can be used to stir the dye and push the garment down into the hot water.
-
5
Some fabrics dye better when salt is added to the dye mixture. Vinegar helps set the color once the garment has been rinsed.Experiment with tie dye techniques once you practice doing single color dyeing. Dip the top of the garment in one color, rinse it and dry it, then dip the bottom in a different color. You can also make bunches all over the garment by using rubber bands and marbles. When you removes the rubber bands, you will have interesting swirls of color.
-
1
