Week 47: Dye Tutorial!

Mar 8, 2011 | 83 Comments

I’ve been getting lots of emails sent my way about using dye and when to use a stove top versus a washing machine, so I figured that a tutorial was in need :)   Yay tutorial!!

I took an old H&M cotton dress from my closet and decided to give it a whirl…

Dye Tutorial Dress!!

Dye Tutorial Dress!!

Went with some Fuchsia RIT Dye…

The color of choice...

The color of choice...

…and got the process rolling!!

Brand new dress and an easy, breezy process? Gold. Can’t wait for the weather to really warm up – this is going to be the perfect over the bathing suit sundress, to beach it on the Pacific Ocean or at the neighborhood pool (aka nearby hotel pool that I like to sneak into that happens to be in my neighborhood…shhh!)

Good, bad or the ugly…share your stories below!!

In all · Tutorials
  • Michele

    Wow, great tutorial. Completely not suitable for UK because we don’t have top loading machines here, and the dye in the shops comes as a powder (Dylon)! Send that Rit dye over here, it looks amazing. Enjoyed watching it anyhow, fab dress, and you looked great. I think you took some make up tips from the tv people last week!

    I would love to see you or someone else show us how to dye with natural stuff, tea or beetroot maybe, just a thought :-)

    • Jacqueline in Atlanta

      I have done tea dyeing before. Make a super strong tea bath. Ten times the tea bag to water ratio you would brew a cup of tea. Take out the bags, while the water is hot, put in your garment and soak until it is as dark as you want. It works best with 100% cotton fabrics. You can get just a little bit of a tan look in a short time or a really dark brown if you leave it awhile. Rinse it out, then give it a vinegar bath to set the color or else you will gradually wash out your tea stain every time you do laundry. Be sure you do NOT use clorox II or some other color brightener type bleach or Clorox in your wash with this tea stained garment in the future or you will “clean out” the tea stain. However, if you do not like the way it turns out, don’t vinegar set it, run it thru the laundry with clorox II or Biz or whatever you have there and it should be back to original. Good luck!

      • Michele

        Thanks Jacqueline, that’s very helpful. I use soapnuts to wash my clothes, they don’t remove any stains lol so no problem there. Didn’t know about vinegar. I use it to remove smoke smell from pre loved stuff from the charity (thrift) store that smells of cigarettes.

    • Anonymous

      Sounds good – will definitely have a natural dye day. I love that idea!! Will get working on that soon Michele! Great idea!

  • Shrav

    Nice tutorial…just gotta try it now!

  • Alliegirl0808

    Thanks. That dress was pretty but you made it GORGEOUS!!!!!

  • Bekyip

    wa hey brilliant. on the uk dye subject You can buy RIT dye on amazon.co.uk
    i’ve been putting off buying some as i have a lot of dylon to use up first because i can’t resist buying it when i go into wilkinsons.
    bek

  • Mooreg1979

    The dress came out beautiful and the tutorial was great. I can’t believe you dyed something while wearing a white top! When I am just doing my laundry, I wear my “laundry day clothes” in case I get bleach or something else on them. You are very brave to wear white, but I guess you can tie dye the top later!

    • Jessica

      haha. I was thinking the same thing the whole time! I would NOT be wearing white (unless aiming for a polka dot look).

      • Anonymous

        Ha! It was just a simple white Hanes T-shirt. I have my usual dye T-shirt (an oldie from Vegas) but it was in the laundry basket from wearing while prepping the bridesmaid dresses for E! If I got this one messy, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Thanks for looking out girls :)

  • Susan

    Do you (or any of your readers) know anything about dying in the new, side-loading, high-efficiency washing machines, which use less water?

    • Anonymous

      Ooh, no – I’m going to look into it for you Susan!

  • Margo

    Beautiful. Can’t believe it is t-shirt wearing time where you are! I’m in central FL and we’re still wearing jeans. UGH!!!

    But woo hoo!! Pretay dress!

  • Laura

    Can’t wait to start dyeing! I found a great vintage slip that I’m actually re-doing for a friend of mine who is getting married so and it desperately needs a dye job, so thanks for the tutorial! :)

  • Angela

    I’ve been dying things this week, using the stove. Do you use salt on the stove as well? Some of my colors have really popped (like Fuschia), but others came out more muted than I would have liked (like Teal).

  • Angela

    Oh, also, what’s the difference between the powder dye and the liquid? I’ve been using the powder because that’s what my local stores have.

  • http://MoreThanTuesdays.Blogspot.com Carla

    Thanks for the tips! I’ve always been terrifyed to dye something. I’m a wuss that way. I have to admit, I was soooooo coveting your bracelet the entire time, and then I saw the finished piece. Now I must have that too! Cuteness!!

  • Wom-Mom Ethne

    I stared down the Rit at the grocery store last week but didn’t buy any – thought of you though! I’ll get some next time and let you know when I’ve got something done! No complaining, Margo – we have snow on the ground here in MN! ~Ethne

    http://www.wom-mom.com

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_D4LUAZ22K4PKE3TYIUAL4VCANY Hannah

    THANKS SOOOO MUCH FOR THIS!!! your dye tutorials are great! they are what i use when i dye. I usually use the RIT liquad dye but my mom picked out a powdered color for a sweatshirt she wants dyed. Do you have any suggestions for first time powder dye users?

    http://thegirlintheheartglasses.weebly.com/

    • http://pioneerprincess.wordpress.com/ PioneerPrincess

      Here’s one suggestion, just be very careful when you pour in the powder dye to avoid any “cloud” of powder coming up into the air — you don’t want to inhale it or get it on yourself or your clothes. The best way to do this is to pour the dye powder as close to the surface of the water as possible. Good luck!

      • Anonymous

        No you don’t! I hope that didn’t happen to you, lovely :)

    • Chummel2

      I would “paste” the powder dye…meaning mix the powder with a little bit of water, in a small container first, stir gently to make sure the powder is totally dissolved then pour it into the water in which your dyeing…it will be much easier this way!

      • Anonymous

        Absolutely – you can even use a ziploc bag. Add your powder, some water, and seal it to dissolve before adding. Works much better!

  • http://pioneerprincess.wordpress.com/ PioneerPrincess

    I love dyeing things Marisa! Thanks for every tutorial. I always learn something new.

  • Judy B.

    Another winner! I love how dye makes details (like lace) really ‘pop’! I’m going to try it soon.

  • Jacqueline in Atlanta

    Thanks for that. I was also wondering when to machine and when to sink. I have a brown skirt that I have had for so long it’s back in style. It is a pretty reddish brown color, but I can’t find any top to match. White clashes, offwhite clashes, reds clash. It’s awful. After your Rit week, I said, “I’m dyeing that thang!” So I got it out and hung it on the doorknob and I’ve been half afraid to go forward. Now I’m ready. Thanks a million. You’re the best!

    • Anonymous

      Woo hoo! You dye that thang :)

  • Guest

    I hope I don’t sound creepy but I love the birthmark you have on your left boob. So sexy. I’m not hitting on you, I promise, I have a boyfriend!

    • Guest

      maybe its a tatoo?

      • ME

        Really? Doesn’t look like a tatoo. It’s brown and odd shaped like a birthmark.

        • Anonymous

          It’s a birthmark :) I hated it when I was younger but love it now – no tats for me!

          • http://lavender-lace.blogspot.com Laura

            How funny, I have a left boob-mark as well!!! I love it, hehe. I used to have a rule when I was in middle/high school that it shouldn’t be visible, but that went out the window in college haha

  • http://misskoolaid.blogspot.com MissKoolAid

    Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve been putting aside pieces I want to dye but haven’t found the courage to do it yet.
    Sophie

  • http://katiesredumbrella.blogspot.com Katie

    This is an awesome tutorial! I learned how to use dye in college (costume design major), but I like your techniques.

    And that dress is fabulous!

  • Tracy toor

    Hmmm, I think it’s easier for you lot Stateside as you use what I would call top loader machines, here in the UK the normal machine is a front loader ie – a door on the front that locks once you have added clothes and wash gel/powder so I can’t add the dye as you can, I’m wondering if the dye would blotch if I have to add at the beginning when the garment is dry? Anyone got any tips?

    • Guest

      Just soak the garment in the sink before you dye it. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll help prevent blotching

      • Anonymous

        Absolutely – make sure the garment is wet to avoid blotches. It may not completely get rid of them, but you can always dye it a second time.

  • Art Teacher Brown

    Love it! Question, though–how much due did you use for this?

    • Art Teacher Brown

      Due=dye. Stupid autocorrect! ;)

    • Anonymous

      I used about 3/4 of the bottle – per the directions, it’s usually 1 pound for the whole bottle. I went a little more than that.

  • Maggie

    The color came out amazing!! I’ve never dyed anything before because I was too afraid to ruin something, but your video makes me think it would be a much less scary process than I thought. Thank you!

    http://tarot-girl.blogspot.com

  • Kathy

    I love the solid fuschia with white lace detail!
    I just finished ombre dying a white bathrobe in sunrise shades (because I put it on in the morning!) and it came out nice but reminded me that “the dye always knows” what colors and chemicals are present even if you think you see or don’t see a color. My goal was a yellow-orange-red-violet transition and stupidly I dyed the whole thing yellow first. I thought it was such a light color that it wouldn’t affect the darker ones, but… The process worked great for orange through red but of course the violet dye does not make violet when it is mixed with yellow. But I have a very nice yellow-orange-red-burgundy robe now and it is so much better than the old white stained gross thing it was before.
    Thanks for reminding us that dye is one of the best tools (and most fun!) for clothing redos.

    • Anonymous

      I love it! What a great idea – I’ll try to do a day of hombre or multiple shades on a piece soon!

  • http://www.facebook.com/TheHungryHousewives The Hungry Housewives

    Better than the original! I prefer the washing machine- easier clean up!

  • Denise

    Super cute. I’m not a fuchsia person but I love it anyhow. I think the white that didn’t dye on the details just makes those details “pop” where as had they also turned fuchsia they wouldn’t be as noticeable.

    • Anonymous

      Yes, it totally just made the lace trim pop. Love that it’s more pronounced now!

  • http://thatuncomfortableitch.blogspot.com/ Heather C.

    Lordy, I want to stop by the store after work and dye all those white t’s that aren’t so white anymore. Using dye has always seemed a bit scary to me, but I’m a-gonna give it a go. Thanks for the tutorial!

  • http://twitter.com/boltedMKE Michelle Eigenberger

    Please please please, for the sake of the other people using the laundry facilities in your building, run a load of old towels with a cup of bleach when you’re done dying and don’t forget to clean out the lint trap.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1498727583 Christine Desens Pankow

    LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!! Thank you!! Our Salvation army now has everything for $1 and certain colored tags each week are 49 cents so I have been buying up all the stained cute white outfits with lace to dye later! Crazy fun!!! Thank you!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=675278632 Patricia Socia

    I love the fuchsia so much better than the plain white! AWESOME!

  • Melinda

    I love how this turned out!!!! What a great idea!!!!

  • Candy

    Love it! What a beautiful color! I’m going to try dying something one of these days, thanks to your tutorials!

  • Crabb Debbie

    You so need a paid contract with Rit dye, as you are going to sell a lot of their product for them

  • Melissaelaine2299

    I am into the dye now because of you! I did an old stained white hoodie and it turned out olive green, it’s great. My favorite I actually did just this morning, before I saw this. My daughter had a tan jumper that she’d left a pink post it note in, and it was very stained. It is now a beautiful chocolate brown color, and the pink flower patch didn’t dye and looks beautiful. love it! I’ve done all of mine in the washer. I haven’t had any problem getting the dye washed out.

    • Anonymous

      That’s fantastic – stained, schmained – no reason to get rid of things, right?

      • Melissaelaine2299

        not if it’s not falling apart! We have four kids – anything I can do cheaply to make things last longer I will do!
        I did more today – three shirts, a pair of tights, and a stuffed unicorn! they’re all purple now. They were my youngest’s clothes so they’re tiny. they look like they were always purple. The unicorn was cool because it dyed the fabric it’s made out of very dark but the fur turned a much lighter purple. The fabric the horn was made out of dyed a different purple shade altogether, and the hair/tail didn’t change from the pink they were. you never know what you are going to get, but that’s part of the fun!

  • http://mummysdress.blogspot.com/ Mummy’s Dress

    Looks great… such a pretty colour. Thanks for the tutorial.

  • Swtmoonrose

    Came out good. However in the interest of saving water I usually wash a load of similar colored towels or sheets in the next wash.

    • Anonymous

      Great call!

  • Kristina

    How did you read my mind??? I came here with the explicit purpose of looking up your earlier dyeing tutorials and was just wondering how to decide whether to use the washer or a pot… you answered all my questions and more! Thank you for always being sooooo freakin awesome!

  • RGS

    Do you make sure you put the dye in before the rinse cycle of after?

    • Guest

      Could you not watch the video or something? If you had you would have noticed that she did it at the start of the wash….so in answer to your question….before the rinse cycle.

  • Kendall

    I wanted to try and dye my baby blue Uggs that had been a little weathered. So I was going to try black, even though the material is rather difficult to catch and hold the color. The process started off horrible as we have brand new washer/dryer in my house so I went with a bucket that had previously been a trash can. Not only did the trash can leak the black dye all over my gray carpet, it also didn’t completely fit my boots. But in the end, my Uggs turned out gray (before they made gray Uggs!) and looked even better than they would’ve black. Sometimes accidents turn into positives!

  • Martine

    Thank you so much for this tutorial! I’ve always wanted to try dying a piece of clothing, but I didn’t know it was that easy. Your dress turned out great!

    Martine :)
    http://undeniablymartine.blogspot.com

  • Clarissa

    Thanks for this tutorial. I’ve been wondering about dying.

  • Julia

    will this method work for a front loader/ H.E. washer?

  • jaego

    Opening the washer is like opening a present when you dye something. How fun!!!

  • sc

    I’m not a fan of the Rit dye, personally. I’ve had much better luck using procion mx dyes for cottons and acid dyes for silks.

    Have you ever played with bleaching acetate? It’s like dyeing in reverse. You can tie it, bunch it, scrunch it or just plain pour bleach on it. Instead of the washing machine, a big bottle of bleach and a bathtub can make some very interesting looking fabric!

  • grandmother

    I used to dye the item & then soaked it in salt & vinegar to set the color.

  • Mariló

    Hi, i’m a big fan of your web. It´s incredible how just dying change a garment. But I got one question, what happens when you wash that garment? The colour blows? I haven’t tried dying because i’m frightened to damage other clothes. Or shall I wash it with cold water by hand? Sorry, i don’t know nothing about dying. Sorry for my english. Mariló from Spain.

  • http://kimbercrafts.wordpress.com/ Kimbercrafts

    Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing…I am going to have to try this soon!

  • http://chasingfabrics.blogspot.com Jenny Wiola

    After reading your blog I have done some dying myself. I love it. :) http://chasingfabrics.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunshine-parade.html

  • http://www.facebook.com/crystal.puckett Crystal Puckett

    That dress came out SO beautifully. That pink is my favorite color! Waaaant!!

  • http://verityclothing.wordpress.com/ Verity Clothing

    Beautiful color! The tutorial was a great idea. I have had all good experiences with RIT dye so far. I think because I always keep an open mind about what color the item might turn out, instead of having my heart set on a particular color. You just never know what color you’ll end up with, but that’s part of the fun, right? :)

  • MandeeSparkle

    I love dying things! I’ve done tons and tons of dying! I do tie dying parties with friends once in a while. And in Theater, I have dyed fabric and dresses so many times. One time I had to make a Bo Peep Costume for the play, “Babes in Toyland” and wanted to use an eyelet fabric for the skirt. Well I couldn’t find the right color of pink eye let ANYWHERE! So what did I do? I dyed 10 yards of Eyelet in my washing machine. Same color you just did this dress.
    I love what it does with different textures and lace (much like your awesome possum applique!).
    Anyway, I love dying things. And I love watching you dye things.
    Mandee

    http://deliciouspossibilities.blogspot.com

  • Nancy

    I’ve dyed using the bucket method (because I have a front loading machine and it is low energy, so the clothes are never sitting in a pool of water). The bucket method is labor intensive and takes a lot of rinsing. I will try the stove top method next!
    http://needleshooksbooks.blogspot.com/

  • http://henthornehandmade.blogspot.com ANKH

    I love how the lace dyed less than the dress! What good it lace if you can’t see it? Love the new color!

  • MYLA

    that dress totally looks better in pink than white. so cute.

  • Laura0michelle013

    Do you have any idea how to dye something in a front load, HP washer?!

    • Anonymous

      Looking into it for you Laura!!

  • windy

    so i didn’t think i could do this because i live in an apt building with a shared pay washer. but it looks like thats what you’ve got too… so maybe i’ll give it a shot. hope they dont get mad at me.

  • Rak5103

    hi, i was hoping maybe you can help me fix my dye job? your dress turned out so pretty!! i wanted to dye a cream jacket like a dusty rose pink.. i mixed half a bottle of scarlet and half a bottle of tangerine and well my jacket turned out exactly that haha red/orange.. i want to make it more pink than red… do you have any advice of a possible color i can dye over it? thanks!! :-)

  • Lite

    Can I dye my pink dress to black