How to Dye with Tea

Use tea to give white items a vintage feel.

Tea bags can be used to naturally dye fabric in a way that allows you to control the shade you are creating, and to avoid using chemical dyes. Tea dye creates a natural off-white color that is perfect for linens, clothing, craft projects and just about anything made out of cotton. Experiment to find out how many tea bags you may need for your project. A good job of tea dyeing can make something white and brand new look old and antique.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot
• Tea bags
• Spoon

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil on the stovetop. However, if you have a larger item to dye that won't fit in a pot, you can use the kitchen sink and just fill the sink with hot water from the tap.

2. Toss tea bags into the hot water. How many you use will depend on how large your item is, and how dark you want the item to ultimately be. Begin with 20 tea bags and go up from there. For a larger item, or if you want the color to be deeper, you can use up to 50 tea bags. Allow the bags to begin to steep for a few minutes.

3. Turn the heat off and remove the pot from the hot burner.

4. Add the cloth items to the water. Use a spoon to stir the garments into the tea to ensure that they are completely covered. Allow the mixture to steep for an hour.

5. Check the garments to see what their color is. If you want the items to be darker still, leave them steeping in the tea for 2 or 3 more hours.

6. Remove the items from the tea and wash them immediately in cold water to set their color.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wash your tea-dyed items in cold water if possible. Hot water will cause the dye to fade more quickly.

• Always use tea bags to dye items --- never loose tea leaves.

• Cotton holds dye better than other fabrics do.

References

• Apartment Therapy: How to Dye Textiles With Coffee and Tea; 2010
• Little Mysteries: Tea-Dying Fabric; August 2007