Most people throw away their old clothes as soon as they notice that they’re old and faded. And you can’t really blame them.
But you can add some colors to it to make it look brand new again.
Throughout this article, we will be going through a couple of methods on how to dip dye fabric to rejuvenate that old and scuffed up cloth.
So, make sure to read from top to bottom to dip dye like a professional!
Dip Dye Fabric : Comprehensive Guideline
With fabric dyes, you can do so many things. If you love trying out new things and love being creative, this is the perfect tool.
And the best thing is that it is not nearly as hard as it might seem. You just need to follow a few steps to see stunning results.
So, here are the steps you must follow to dip dye fabric like a professional:
Set Up the Workspace
Before you do anything, it is vital to cover your workspace with plastic or anything to protect the floor or any other surface you are working on.
Your T-shirt is going to be dripping everywhere, so it is not a bad idea to cover the whole area.
If you feel as though dye makes you feel sick just from smelling it, we highly recommend keeping a window open or simply turn on a fan. Alternatively, you can work outdoors if you don’t like being in a room.
So, take as much time as needed to properly set up your workspace and stay safe!
Gather the Tools
This process is pretty much straightforward. However, you need some tools to properly dip dye fabric. These are tools that most people have on hand. So, this should not be a problem.
To dye your fabric, you will need a container; this is where the magic happens and where you will spend most of your time.
It does not matter what type of container you use. As long as it gets the job done, it should work just fine.
You will also need gloves to protect your hands. If you don’t wear gloves, you will end up with dye all over your hands, and it can be quite annoying to remove. So, make sure you wear gloves throughout the whole process.
And finally, a clipping hanger. This is probably the most important thing. And this is where you will dip and hang and your clothes.
Wash the Fabric
Before you go ahead and try to dip dye your fabric, you must wash it.
The best way to do so is to set a suitable temperature for the fabric you want to dip dye. From there, you just have to squeeze out all the water.
You want it to be wet, but not dripping wet.
And you cannot skip this step by any means. Washing the fabric before dyeing it will get rid of any coatings that could stop the dye from getting into the fabric.
Boil Water and Pour It
What you want to do here is heat water up to 140°F. But you don’t want it to be too hot to the point that you can’t handle it. You just want the water to be hot enough to dissolve the dye inside the container.
Once the water is hot enough, you simply have to pour it into the container. It doesn’t really matter what type of container you use. However, you must keep in mind that all the dye you are going to pour into the container will stain it.
So, get a container that you don’t care about.
Add Salt
When you’re dyeing cotton, you must add some salt to help the dye work better. However, before you do this—we highly recommend reading the back of your can. Each brand is different, so you might not need to add salt.
Prepare the Dye
If your dye is inside a bottle, give it a good shake before you pour it into the water. Here you just need to pour the coloring into the water. It is totally up to you just how much dye you want to use.
And if you want a rather darkish fabric, then you need to pour more dye. However, if you want less dense or bright results, then you need to add less coloring.
Now from there, you want to give it a good stir. Keep doing this until you see the dye has mixed with your water.
Test the Color
We strongly recommend testing the color beforehand. However, it can be quite hard to tell when the color is inside the container.
So, what you must do here is grab a napkin and zip it into the water. This is the best way to make sure this is the color that you want.
If you feel as though the color is too light, then you need to add more dye. But if you find it to be too dark, you can just add more water.
You can also curl little by little as you can see how the color is going to turn out. So, instead of dropping it all in one-go, drop little by little.
Dip the Shirt
Chuck the fabric in the dye container. What you want to do from here is give it a good message so the dye can quickly get into the fabric.
Now you just need to let it sit inside the container for about 20 minutes.
If you want to get an ombre look, you just need to dip the top of your fabric. The fabric will slowly begin to absorb the dye. If you want more ombre, simply lower the material further.
Remove the Excess
Now that 20 minutes have passed by, you want to wring out all the excess.
If you just wanted to dye one side of your fabric, then you want to run water on the dyed part. This will stop the dye from getting onto the undyed part.
Warm Water
At this point, you’re almost done. But before you get to that part, you need to run warm water on your fabric. Again, only run water on the dyed part.
Wash the Fabric
To make sure that everything is going well, you must wash the fabric using your washing machine. The idea is to clean the fabric before you wear it. So, just set the temperature to cold and begin to wash the fabric.
Dry the Fabric
Once you have washed your fabric, let it hang dry. Alternatively, you could throw it into your dryer. Either way is fine.
To make sure the dye does not fade away, always wash it using cold water. Otherwise, your dye could fade into nothingness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have some doubts about this process? Below you may find some answers to help you out:
How do you dip dye a large piece of fabric?
The best way to dip dye a large piece of fabric is to put it inside a big container. From there, you just have to pour the coloring as well as water. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then rinse it out. Once you have done that, hang it to dry.
Can I use food coloring to dye fabric?
Yes, you can use food coloring to dye your fabric. The steps are the same you would do with commercial fabric dye, and you still get stunning results.
What can I use to dye fabric?
There are many things you can use to dye fabric. You could either buy commercial fabric dye, food coloring, and bleach.
How do you darken faded black clothes?
The easiest way to restore your faded clothes is to add ½ cup of salt inside your washing machine. This will get rid of any detergent that has built up upon your fabric. This also makes your clothes look brand-new again.
How do you dip dye fabric with bleach?
Fill up the bucket with water and add some bleach to it. After that, just place the fabric into the bucket for 20 minutes. Now you just need to hang the fabric to dry. Don’t forget to be careful as the material is still filled with bleach.
Final Words
Dyeing your clothes is not nearly as hard as it seems. With the proper tools and methods, you should be able to pull it off.
Being able to dye your clothes on your own is a cool skill to have. Sometimes you might go to a store, but you might not be so happy with what you see.
Sometimes you might find socks you like, but they are not the right color. And finding colored socks can be hard.
But now that you know how to dip dye fabric, you can add subtle colors to all your clothes and see how it all turns out!
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