Easy Way to Dye Clothes
Inexpensive cotton summer clothes are ideal for experimental dyeing projects. Begin with basics like t-shirts, caps, tennis shoes and shorts to create colorful custom-dyed outfits for children and adults. Dyeing at home is a simple and enjoyable hobby for adults and older children. The supplies are inexpensive and the results can be surprising.
Instructions
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1
Pour 8 cups of water into a pot and add the fixative. You can use a number of different fixatives so check your dye package for recommendations. Some common fixatives are 1 cup salt, 1 tbsp. alum or 1 cup vinegar. Stir the mixture until all solids are dissolved.
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2
Place the clothing in the pot and push it down with a spoon so all the fabric is soaked. Place the pot on a stove burner and turn the burner on low. Simmer the liquid with the fabric submerged for one hour.
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3
Remove the pot from the stove and pull the fabric from the liquid. Use rubber gloves to protect your hands. Lay the fabric in a sink to cool if it is too hot to handle. When you can pick up the fabric, wring it out until it is just moist.
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4
Prepare your dye bath. The directions for the amount of water to use will depend on your dye brand. Mix the dye bath thoroughly.
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5
Place the still-moist fabric into the dye bath pot and place it on the stove burner. Turn the burner on low and let the liquid simmer. Check the fabric after simmering one hour. Look at the fabric every 10 minutes after that until you have achieved the desired color. The color will get lighter as the fabric dries.
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6
Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool with the fabric still inside. Remove the fabric when the dye is at room temperature. Rinse under cool running water until all the excess dye has rinsed out. Hang your garment on a line to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Dye inexpensive white towels to make a set of custom colored linens.
Always use rubber gloves when dying. Dyes are permanent on hands.
Keep all chemicals away from small children. Toddlers are attracted to brightly colored liquids because of their similarity to soft drinks.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit towel image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
