Tea staining is a technique that turns fabric, usually white, to a new color. Using black tea bags yields a soft brown or cream colored fabric. Herbal teas, depending on the color of the tea in the bags, will turn the fabric a red, green or yellow. Tea staining is an old technique used before dyes were readily available. Tea staining is used in crafts to create an aged look to perfectly good, new fabric. Experiment with different teas and fabrics to get different results.
Boil water in a pan. Use a large pan about 3/4 full of water for a yard of fabric or more. Use a smaller pan for a small piece of fabric.
2
Add tea bags to the boiling water. Depending on the amount of water, start with two tea bags. Add more tea bags for a deeper color or if you're using more water.
3
Boil the water with the tea bags for five minutes or longer, depending on how deep you want the color.
4
Turn off the heat to the pan. Add the fabric carefully to the tea broth. Push the fabric down under the water. Place the tea bags on top of the fabric with the spoon if you want random places in the fabric to be darker. Or remove the tea bags for a more uniform color.
5
Let the fabric steep for a few minutes. Check the color by using the wooden spoon to look at the tea-stained color. Leave the fabric in longer for a darker color. Remove when the fabric is the desired color.
6
Remove the fabric carefully from the hot tea water. Place in a colander to cool. Do not rinse because that may rinse out some of the tea staining.
7
Drape the fabric outside to dry, or dry the fabric in the dryer.
Tips & Warnings
For white cotton or muslin, usually about 5 or 10 minutes results in a good tan or cream color.
Use caution around the boiling water. An adult should always supervise this part of the process for young children.
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