How to Dye Rabbit Skins
Rabbits are often hunted for their meat and their skins. Rabbit fur is soft and silky and can be used for coats, wraps, earmuffs, hand muffs, decoration, etc. Rabbit foot key chains are also popular. The key chains themselves come in a variety of colors, and the rabbit fur is often dyed to match. Even the fur on clothing is often dyed to give it a brighter and "cleaner" color. Once the rabbit skin has been tanned, dyeing the fur is not difficult.
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Things You'll Need
- Old clothes and rubber gloves
- 1 package powder dye (in color of choice)
- Medium bowl
- 2 cups hot water
- Metal spoon
- Bucket
- 3 gallons hot water
- 1 cup bleach
- Sponge
- Terry cloth
Instructions
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1
Put on old clothes and rubber gloves. The dye can permanently stain your clothes as well as stain your hands.
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2
Pour the powder dye into a bowl with 2 cups of water. Stir to dissolve.
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3
Fill a bucket with 3 gallons of hot water. A long, rectangular bucket works best.
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4
Pour the dye from the bowl into the bucket of hot water.
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Lay the skin (fur side down) into the bucket. Swirl the fur throughout the water with your hands. Leave the skin in the water for at least 30 minutes.
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Rinse the skin in warm water until the water runs clear, then rinse the skin under cool water. If the skin comes out the shade you wanted, empty the bucket and let the skin dry.
If you want a deeper or brighter color, place the skin back into the dye for another 30 minutes.
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Lay the dyed skin on any hard surface (fur side up) and allow it to dry. This may take up to two days.
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Clean the bucket immediately after you're finished dyeing the skin to avoid staining. Add bleach to the bucket and fill with water. Use a sponge to scrub the bucket clean.
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9
Run a terry cloth over the fur when it is finished drying to remove any dye pieces that did not fully dissolve.
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