How to Dye Wood Beads Black
Creating your own jewelry can be a rewarding past time, and it does not have to be difficult. You can add a natural charm to pieces with wooden beads, and even customize the colors by dying them at home. Dying beads can be done at your kitchen table, eliminating the need for room-consuming work spaces. You can also add an exotic flair to your wood with ebony. Although ebony is expensive and exotic, it is possible to dye wood to appear dark or true black without pricey materials. This process is known as "ebonizing" the wood.
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Things You'll Need
- Dye
- Wooden beads
- Pipe cleaners
- Disposable plastic bowl
- Lacquer or sealing spray
Instructions
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Select your dye. There are many ways to dye wood. Your dye should be compatible with natural materials and not be formulated for synthetics. FineWoodworking.com recommends dye stains, which come in powder form and can be mixed to the shade you want. It will also leave some wood grain showing, keeping the look more natural. WoodWorkWeb.com goes on to specify aniline dye stains. Other types of dyes you can use include fabric or leather dye, India ink, or a plain felt pen.
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String the beads on a pipe cleaner and bend the pipe cleaner to fit in your bowl. The bristles on the pipe cleaner support the beads and keep them from moving or touching each other while they are being dyed. This ensures that all visible parts of the beads are dyed evenly.
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Mix your dye in the disposable bowl. Using a disposable bowl enables you to dye your beads without worrying about staining a good bowl.
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Dip the beads on the pipe cleaner into the dye. If the dye appears too light, add more dye. If it appears too dark, add water. Since you are dying the beads a dark color, you will most often be adding dye to obtain a true black.
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Allow the beads to soak in the dye. The amount of time this takes will vary with the type of dye. Fabric dyes will obtain their darkest colors in ten minutes, others may be instantaneous or take longer. Check on your beads and remove them from the dye when they achieve the shade you want.
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Remove the beads and let them dry. Beads dyed with fabric dye will need to be rinsed with water. Thicker stains can be wiped off with a soft cloth to remove any excess dye. Once they are dry, remove them from the pipe cleaner. Coat them with lacquer or other fixative, such as clear acrylic spray. This will help them keep their color longer.
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Tips & Warnings
Presoak the beads if you are using a dye stain. This helps the beads to take the dye evenly. If your dye is water-based, soak the beads in water. If your dye is alcohol-based, use alcohol.
You can also wipe on stains. This will not work with fabric dye, but dye stains can be applied to pieces with a cloth. Be careful to coat the beads evenly if you choose to apply color directly.
References
- Photo Credit DreamPictures/Photodisc/Getty Images
