DIY Tie-Dye Pillow
Add character to a plain white pillow slip with with tie-dye. This easy DIY project is suitable for beginners or advanced dyers. You can transform two large napkins into a pillow slip or simply tie-dye an already sewn cover. If you like to dye, you probably already have all the needed supplies at home right now.
Materials:
- Tintex Fabric Dye colour of choice (darker colours use double the usual amount & pastels use less dye)
- Fabric (ex: 2 large white cotton napkins or already sewn white pillow slip)
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Plastic bucket, glass or stainless steel bowls
- Elastic or string
- Scissors
- Kettle
- Pillow
- Optional: sewing machine & supplies (or hand needle & thread)
Directions:
- Plan the design by selecting the colours you would like to use (the dye colour wheel has more information); know the order of colours to be placed onto your fabric.
- Prepare fabric dye solution as usual, by dissolving the required amount of powder into water heated in a kettle. Transfer the completely dissolved dye solution into dye bath and mix well.
- Use clean damp fabric (ex: large napkins or already sewn pillow slip).
- Roll fabric into a tube, or try spinning/ folding where you would like a design and secure with elastic or string (this creates divisions of base fabric colour in your design). Try our 5 classic tie dye techniques.
- Pleat fabric together tightly with your hands and use rubber bands or string to secure (rubber bands or string create colour divisions that will show the original fabric colour).
- Dye fabric: use a spray bottle, squirt bottle or dip fabric into a dye bath (try alternating primary, secondary or complementary colours or any other combination).
- Cover dyed fabric with plastic wrap and set aside for a few hours or overnight to set.
- Rinse fabric until water runs clear. Wash and dry fabric as usual, you may also set design with a warm iron if preferred.
- Optional: sew together napkins by hand or with a sewing machine. Leave a small space at the side or bottom to turn pillow cover inside out. Hand or machine sew seam shut.