How to Dye Flowers that are Artificial

Artificial flowers come in a variety of colors. They are great for decoration around the house, as party favors or as centerpieces for a party or wedding. Although they do come in an array of colors, sometimes the shade of the flower will not exactly match what you want it to match. Lacquer paint can be spray painted onto each flower to alter the color and shade of the artificial flower. This way you can get the exact color that you are looking for, and you can save a lot of money by not ordering real flowers from a florist.

Things You'll Need

• Old clothes and plastic gloves
• Artificial flowers (preferably white)
• 1 can of black lacquer spray paint
• Large vase
• Bucket
• Packet of pre-dissolved fabric dye powder
• 2 cups hot water
• Clothespin

Instructions

Spray Painting Flowers

1. Put on old clothes and gloves to protect your hands and skin (and good clothes) from the paint.

2. Shake the bottle of spray paint.

3. Hold the flower in your non-dominant hand.

4. Tap the sprayer very lightly releasing only a little paint at a time with your dominant hand.

5. Apply a light layer of spray paint to one side of the flower. Rotate the flower around to spray the other sides.

6. Place the flower in a vase. Allow the flower to dry for 5 to 10 minutes. While the flower is drying, start spraying the next flower.

7. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 on all the flowers once they have all had one coat of paint. Continue this until the desired shade is reached.

Dyeing Flowers

1. Fill a small bucket with hot water. Add the chosen color of pre-dissolved dye powder to the water and stir. If you purchased regular dye powder, add 1/2 package of powder to 1 1/2 gallons of hot water.

2. Wet the artificial flower in hot water then dip it, slowly, into the bucket of dye. Submerge the entire flower (up to the stem) into the dye.

3. Clip the stem of the flower to the edge of the bucket using a clothespin. This will ensure the flower is thoroughly soaking in the dye without altering the stem color. Leave the flower in the water for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Pull the flower out, and run it under warm water. Slowly, change the warm water to cool until the water runs clear. Place the flower in a vase to dry.

5. Repeat the process with the other flowers. Only dye one flower at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• Both methods work on artificial flowers of any material, as well as real flowers.

• When dying the flowers with a powdered dye, it's best to keep the dye bucket directly in the sink. This way there won't be any dye drippings when taking the flower out to be washed.

• Clean the bucket and any dye drippings with chlorine bleach and a sponge.

• Always work in a well-ventilated area or outside.

• Cover your work area with old sheets or blankets to protect the area. The best place to work while spray painting the flowers is in the garage where you can tack an old blanket to the wall and keep a blanket or sheet on the floor. This way, you're also able to have the garage door open for ventilation.

References

• Rit Dye
• Just Answer

Resources

• Gardenweb