How to Overdye Silk Ribbon
When you want to change the color of fiber or fabric, the technique you use is called "overdyeing." The fabric may be commercially dyed or in a natural state, such as a natural brown sheep's wool. Because silk is a protein fiber, you can easily dye silk ribbon at home with nontoxic dyes such as food coloring and icing dye. With this technique, you can change the color completely or use a complementary color to enhance it.
Things You'll Need
- Plastic container
- Vinegar
- 4 oz. silk ribbon
- Oven-safe baking dish
- Heatproof cup
- Gel icing dye
- Spoon or Popsicle stick
- Rubber gloves
- Oven
- Mild soap
Instructions
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1
Fill a plastic container with water. The container should be big enough to hold the ribbon without crowding. Add 1 cup of vinegar to the water and swish around.
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2
Add the ribbon to the container and press it down firmly until it is completely immersed. If bits of ribbon float to the top, put another container on top to keep all of the ribbon immersed.
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3
Soak the ribbon overnight.
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4
Remove the ribbon from the soaking liquid and arrange it in a large oven-safe baking dish. Make sure that the dish is big enough to hold the ribbon with some room to spare, so the dye can reach all parts of the ribbon.
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5
Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a heatproof cup and add about 1/2 tsp. of gel icing dye. Stir with a spoon or Popsicle stick until the gel is completely dissolved.
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6
Let the water cool off; it should be cool enough to put your hand in comfortably.
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7
Put on rubber gloves and preheat the oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
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8
Pour the dye over the ribbon. Make sure that the dye is distributed evenly over the ribbon. Add more water if needed.
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9
Put the ribbon in the oven. As the dye bath heats up, the dye bonds with the silk ribbon. When the water turns clear, the dye has been exhausted and the process is done. This can take up to an hour; just keep checking the progress.
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10
Remove the dish from the oven and allow the ribbon to cool.
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11
Wash the ribbon in a mild soap and line-dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Icing dye is available at craft stores in small jars or tubes. The color is very concentrated. The more dye you add, the more intense the color will be.
