How to Dye Clothes
Choose the proper dye., Wash your clothes before dyeing them., Cover your workspace., Let the clothes soak in a fixative., Choose the right color., Gather the plant material., Cut the plant material into small pieces., Simmer the dye., Strain the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the proper dye.
Most dyes work best on natural fabrics, so if you plan to dye a polyester or other synthetic garment, you might need to find a special dye blend or choose another garment.Choose a white or off-white item of clothing for the purest color.
Natural dyes work best with cotton, wool, silk, and muslin.
Chemical dyes work best with cotton, linen, silk, wool, and ramie.
They also work well with rayon and nylon synthetic fabrics.
If you have a garment made from 60 percent dyeable fiber, like cotton, then you can usually dye it with a chemical dye even if the remaining fibers are not dyeable.
Note, however, that the color will be much lighter than it would be with 100 percent dyeable fabrics.
Avoid clothes made of polyester, spandex, metallic fibers, or those labeled "dry clean only." -
Step 2: Wash your clothes before dyeing them.
The clothes you choose to dye should be clean before you begin.
Put them through a normal warm washing cycle with a mild laundry detergent.
Make sure that all stains are removed before proceeding.
You can also use bleach to make your clothes even whiter.
A pure white garment will produce a purer color than a dingy white garment.
You do not need to dry your clothes after washing them.
They actually need to be wet for the dyeing process. , Dyeing fabric can be messy business.
To make the clean-up easier, cover your workspace with a plastic drop cloth or several layers of newspaper.
You should also keep sponges and paper towels nearby in case any dye spills as you work , Dye fixatives allow your clothes to absorb the dye more readily.
The best type of fixative will depend on the type of plant material used for the dye.
When making dye from berries, prepare a salt fixative.
Combine 1/2 cup (125 ml) salt with 8 cups (2 L) cold water.
When making dye from other plants, prepare a vinegar fixative.
Combine 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts cold water.
When using a chemical dye, apply a fixative based on the type of fabric being dyed.
Let the clothes sit in this fixative solution for one hour.
Rinse the clothes afterward in cool water before dyeing them. , The material you choose will determine the color of your dye.
Do a bit of research to determine which plants, berries, and spices can be used to produce the color you want.
Create orange dye with onion skin, carrot roots, butternut seed husks, and gold lichen.
Create brown dye using dandelion roots, oak bark, walnut husks and hulls, tea bags, coffee, acorns, and goldenrod shoots.
Make pink dye using strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, and grand fir bark.
Create blue-purple dye with dogwood bark, red cabbage, lavender elderberries, purple mulberries, cornflower petals, blueberries, purple grapes, and purple iris.
Make a red-brown dye using elderberries, red onion skin, pomegranates, beets, bamboo, and dried hibiscus flowers.
Form a gray to black dye using blackberries, walnut hulls, oak galls, and butternut hulls.
Make a red-purple dye with daylilies, huckleberries, or basil.
Go for a green dye by using artichokes, sorrel roots, spinach leaves, Black-eyed Susans, snapdragons, lilac flowers, grass, or yarrow flowers.
Make yellow dye using bay leaves, alfalfa seeds, marigold blossoms, St.
John's Wort, dandelion flowers, daffodil flower heads, paprika, and turmeric. , Any plant material you decide to use needs to be in a ripe, mature state.
Fruit and berries need to be ripe.
Nuts need to be mature.
Blossoms should be in full bloom and near the end of their life cycle.
Seeds, leaves, and stems can be harvested as soon as they grow in. , The plant material should be chopped into fine pieces using a kitchen knife.
Transfer the plant material to a large stockpot.
The stockpot should be about twice as large as the clothes you plan to dye.
Cutting the material into fine pieces exposes more surface area, so the natural color of the material is drawn out more easily. , Fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for roughly 60 minutes.
Use twice as much water as plant material. , Pour the dye through a colander to remove the plant material from the liquid.
Transfer the liquid back into your dyeing stockpot. , Place your wet clothes in the dye bath and simmer together over medium heat until the desired color is achieved.
Note that the color will be lighter once it dries.
At minimum, you will need to let the clothes sit in the dye bath for 30 to 60 minutes.
For a rich shade, let the clothes sit in the dye bath 8 hours or overnight.
Stir the clothes in the dye bath occasionally to ensure even dyeing. , For the first washing, wash your dyed clothes in cold water apart from other garments.
The colors will run.
Dry your clothes using a dryer or by drying them in the sun. , Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water.
Bring it up to a simmer on your stove using medium heat.
Use a 2-gallon (8-L) stockpot.
Otherwise, you may not have enough room to adequately and evenly dye your clothes. , For chemical dyes, the fixative should be added directly to the dye bath.
The fixative should be determined based on the type of fabric your clothes are made from.
For natural fibers, like cotton and silk, add 1 cup (250 ml) of salt to the water as it comes to a boil.
For synthetic fibers, like nylon, add 1 cup (250 ml) of white vinegar to the water. , You can use granular dye or liquid dye.
Follow the instructions provided on the package to determine the correct amount of dye to use.
If using a box of powder dye, you will usually pour the entire package into the simmering water.
If using liquid dye, you will usually use half the bottle.
Stir the dye into the water until evenly dispersed. , Drop the clothing item into the dye bath until the entire garment is covered.
Use a mixing spoon to press the fabric completely beneath the surface. , Once the dye bath reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir the garment periodically to ensure even dyeing.
Do not cover the stockpot. , Carefully remove the clothes from the hot dye bath using two spoons and lift it until a metal sink.
Run hot water over your garment, gradually decreasing the temperature until it reaches ice cold water and the water running off the garment turns clear.
Dump your dye bath in a metal sink to dispose of it.
A lot of dye will come out as you rinse the fabric.
This is normal and inevitable.
Using ice cold water at the end sets the dye into the clothing. , Hang the clothes somewhere and let it dry completely.
Do not dry in a drying machine.
Place an old towel or rag beneath the clothing to catch any dripping dye as the item dries. , Use the hottest water possible as long as it is safe for use with the type of fabric you are dyeing.
Set the washing machine to fill with enough water for a small load.
If you fill the machine all the way, you will dilute the dye too much and end up with a faded garment. , Pour the dye into the water as the basin continues to fill.
Do not add the clothes yet.
By adding the dye to the machine as it fills with water, you do not need to stir it in.
The rapid flow of water into the basin will stir the dye in well enough.
Follow package instructions for the chemical dye you choose to use.
You will usually use a full package of powder dye or half a bottle of liquid dye. , Once your washing machine has finished filling, add your clothes.
Note that the clothes should be wet before you add them to the washing machine dye bath.
Otherwise, the color will not set correctly. , Reset the washing cycle so that it takes a full 30 minutes to complete.
Set the machine to a longer cycle if you want to produce a stronger color.
The advantage of the washing machine is that you do not need to stir the clothes as they sit in the dye bath.
Instead, the washing machine will agitate the clothes for you. , Let the clothes go through a full rinse cycle in your washing machine to strain out some of the excess dye.
Use warm water for this rinse cycle.
Warm water will draw out the excess dye more readily than cold water. , Wash the clothes in a normal cycle with cold water and mild detergent.
The cold water will set the dye.
Meanwhile, this wash cycle will wash the clothes, cleaning them after they have soaked in the dye bath.
Do not wash any other clothes with the dyed garments.
Dry the clothes in a dryer or by hanging them in the sunlight to dry. , After you remove your dyed clothes from the washing machine, run your machine through another wash cycle to rinse out any excess dye and prepare it for your next load of laundry.
For best results, use hot water and 1 cup (250 ml) of bleach. -
Step 3: Cover your workspace.
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Step 4: Let the clothes soak in a fixative.
-
Step 5: Choose the right color.
-
Step 6: Gather the plant material.
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Step 7: Cut the plant material into small pieces.
-
Step 8: Simmer the dye.
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Step 9: Strain the dye.
-
Step 10: Simmer the clothes in the dye bath.
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Step 11: Wash dyed fabric in cold water.
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Step 12: Simmer a stockpot of water.
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Step 13: Add a fixative.
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Step 14: Add the dye solution to the water.
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Step 15: Dunk your clothing item into the dye.
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Step 16: Let the clothes simmer in the dye bath.
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Step 17: Rinse the clothing in running water.
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Step 18: Let the clothes air dry.
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Step 19: Fill your washing machine with hot water.
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Step 20: Pour the dye into the water as the washing machine fills.
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Step 21: Add your clothes to the dye bath.
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Step 22: Set the washing machine to a 30 minute cycle.
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Step 23: Put the washing machine through another rinse cycle.
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Step 24: Wash the clothes with detergent in a normal cycle.
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Step 25: Run your empty machine through another wash cycle.
Detailed Guide
Most dyes work best on natural fabrics, so if you plan to dye a polyester or other synthetic garment, you might need to find a special dye blend or choose another garment.Choose a white or off-white item of clothing for the purest color.
Natural dyes work best with cotton, wool, silk, and muslin.
Chemical dyes work best with cotton, linen, silk, wool, and ramie.
They also work well with rayon and nylon synthetic fabrics.
If you have a garment made from 60 percent dyeable fiber, like cotton, then you can usually dye it with a chemical dye even if the remaining fibers are not dyeable.
Note, however, that the color will be much lighter than it would be with 100 percent dyeable fabrics.
Avoid clothes made of polyester, spandex, metallic fibers, or those labeled "dry clean only."
The clothes you choose to dye should be clean before you begin.
Put them through a normal warm washing cycle with a mild laundry detergent.
Make sure that all stains are removed before proceeding.
You can also use bleach to make your clothes even whiter.
A pure white garment will produce a purer color than a dingy white garment.
You do not need to dry your clothes after washing them.
They actually need to be wet for the dyeing process. , Dyeing fabric can be messy business.
To make the clean-up easier, cover your workspace with a plastic drop cloth or several layers of newspaper.
You should also keep sponges and paper towels nearby in case any dye spills as you work , Dye fixatives allow your clothes to absorb the dye more readily.
The best type of fixative will depend on the type of plant material used for the dye.
When making dye from berries, prepare a salt fixative.
Combine 1/2 cup (125 ml) salt with 8 cups (2 L) cold water.
When making dye from other plants, prepare a vinegar fixative.
Combine 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts cold water.
When using a chemical dye, apply a fixative based on the type of fabric being dyed.
Let the clothes sit in this fixative solution for one hour.
Rinse the clothes afterward in cool water before dyeing them. , The material you choose will determine the color of your dye.
Do a bit of research to determine which plants, berries, and spices can be used to produce the color you want.
Create orange dye with onion skin, carrot roots, butternut seed husks, and gold lichen.
Create brown dye using dandelion roots, oak bark, walnut husks and hulls, tea bags, coffee, acorns, and goldenrod shoots.
Make pink dye using strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, and grand fir bark.
Create blue-purple dye with dogwood bark, red cabbage, lavender elderberries, purple mulberries, cornflower petals, blueberries, purple grapes, and purple iris.
Make a red-brown dye using elderberries, red onion skin, pomegranates, beets, bamboo, and dried hibiscus flowers.
Form a gray to black dye using blackberries, walnut hulls, oak galls, and butternut hulls.
Make a red-purple dye with daylilies, huckleberries, or basil.
Go for a green dye by using artichokes, sorrel roots, spinach leaves, Black-eyed Susans, snapdragons, lilac flowers, grass, or yarrow flowers.
Make yellow dye using bay leaves, alfalfa seeds, marigold blossoms, St.
John's Wort, dandelion flowers, daffodil flower heads, paprika, and turmeric. , Any plant material you decide to use needs to be in a ripe, mature state.
Fruit and berries need to be ripe.
Nuts need to be mature.
Blossoms should be in full bloom and near the end of their life cycle.
Seeds, leaves, and stems can be harvested as soon as they grow in. , The plant material should be chopped into fine pieces using a kitchen knife.
Transfer the plant material to a large stockpot.
The stockpot should be about twice as large as the clothes you plan to dye.
Cutting the material into fine pieces exposes more surface area, so the natural color of the material is drawn out more easily. , Fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for roughly 60 minutes.
Use twice as much water as plant material. , Pour the dye through a colander to remove the plant material from the liquid.
Transfer the liquid back into your dyeing stockpot. , Place your wet clothes in the dye bath and simmer together over medium heat until the desired color is achieved.
Note that the color will be lighter once it dries.
At minimum, you will need to let the clothes sit in the dye bath for 30 to 60 minutes.
For a rich shade, let the clothes sit in the dye bath 8 hours or overnight.
Stir the clothes in the dye bath occasionally to ensure even dyeing. , For the first washing, wash your dyed clothes in cold water apart from other garments.
The colors will run.
Dry your clothes using a dryer or by drying them in the sun. , Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water.
Bring it up to a simmer on your stove using medium heat.
Use a 2-gallon (8-L) stockpot.
Otherwise, you may not have enough room to adequately and evenly dye your clothes. , For chemical dyes, the fixative should be added directly to the dye bath.
The fixative should be determined based on the type of fabric your clothes are made from.
For natural fibers, like cotton and silk, add 1 cup (250 ml) of salt to the water as it comes to a boil.
For synthetic fibers, like nylon, add 1 cup (250 ml) of white vinegar to the water. , You can use granular dye or liquid dye.
Follow the instructions provided on the package to determine the correct amount of dye to use.
If using a box of powder dye, you will usually pour the entire package into the simmering water.
If using liquid dye, you will usually use half the bottle.
Stir the dye into the water until evenly dispersed. , Drop the clothing item into the dye bath until the entire garment is covered.
Use a mixing spoon to press the fabric completely beneath the surface. , Once the dye bath reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir the garment periodically to ensure even dyeing.
Do not cover the stockpot. , Carefully remove the clothes from the hot dye bath using two spoons and lift it until a metal sink.
Run hot water over your garment, gradually decreasing the temperature until it reaches ice cold water and the water running off the garment turns clear.
Dump your dye bath in a metal sink to dispose of it.
A lot of dye will come out as you rinse the fabric.
This is normal and inevitable.
Using ice cold water at the end sets the dye into the clothing. , Hang the clothes somewhere and let it dry completely.
Do not dry in a drying machine.
Place an old towel or rag beneath the clothing to catch any dripping dye as the item dries. , Use the hottest water possible as long as it is safe for use with the type of fabric you are dyeing.
Set the washing machine to fill with enough water for a small load.
If you fill the machine all the way, you will dilute the dye too much and end up with a faded garment. , Pour the dye into the water as the basin continues to fill.
Do not add the clothes yet.
By adding the dye to the machine as it fills with water, you do not need to stir it in.
The rapid flow of water into the basin will stir the dye in well enough.
Follow package instructions for the chemical dye you choose to use.
You will usually use a full package of powder dye or half a bottle of liquid dye. , Once your washing machine has finished filling, add your clothes.
Note that the clothes should be wet before you add them to the washing machine dye bath.
Otherwise, the color will not set correctly. , Reset the washing cycle so that it takes a full 30 minutes to complete.
Set the machine to a longer cycle if you want to produce a stronger color.
The advantage of the washing machine is that you do not need to stir the clothes as they sit in the dye bath.
Instead, the washing machine will agitate the clothes for you. , Let the clothes go through a full rinse cycle in your washing machine to strain out some of the excess dye.
Use warm water for this rinse cycle.
Warm water will draw out the excess dye more readily than cold water. , Wash the clothes in a normal cycle with cold water and mild detergent.
The cold water will set the dye.
Meanwhile, this wash cycle will wash the clothes, cleaning them after they have soaked in the dye bath.
Do not wash any other clothes with the dyed garments.
Dry the clothes in a dryer or by hanging them in the sunlight to dry. , After you remove your dyed clothes from the washing machine, run your machine through another wash cycle to rinse out any excess dye and prepare it for your next load of laundry.
For best results, use hot water and 1 cup (250 ml) of bleach.
About the Author
Matthew Fox
A passionate writer with expertise in crafts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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