Gradient colors can bring warmth and joy to home life. Lampshades, pillows, cushions, etc. in home life can be creatively transformed through dip-dyeing technology to easily produce cute, lively and brightly colored new home textiles.
The dip dyeing process is very simple. Just add water or dye to quickly adjust the color saturation until you achieve the effect you are satisfied with. You can also mix dyes of different colors according to your preference to make varied home fabrics and enjoy the fun of handmade DIY~
Materials:
1. Buckets of different sizes (small trash cans can also be kept on hand)
2. Any liquid or solid dye suitable for textiles (Kate found that using liquid dyes is easier but also more expensive)
3. Fabric or a pillowcase (wash in advance)
4. Fabric lampshade (light color is best)
5. Plastic gloves (helps keep hands clean)
6. Spray bottle filled with water
Time required: 1-2 hours (including drying time)
Instructions:
1. Mix the dye in a bucket according to the instructions on the dye package. Most dyes recommend using warm water. If you have enough buckets, you can use two buckets to make dyes of the same color but with different shades. If you need to reuse the same bucket throughout the process and want to create a gradient effect, start with the thinnest dye and work your way up, soaking more and more of the lampshade or pillowcase area.
2. Spray all your fabrics or lampshades with a spray bottle. Make sure to keep them moist but not too wet to drip. This will help the dyeing to be more even.
3. Slowly soak your fabric or lampshade into the dye. For pillowcases, you can fold the width of the fabric smaller before soaking and the dye will still render even horizontal lines on the fabric.
4. Dip dye multiple times with different depths. To create a gradient effect, add dye to your dye bucket after dipping a few times. You will see a line of darker color blend softly into the previously rendered area. Adjust the ratio of your dye or water according to the gradient effect you want. You can always use a test cloth to test the effect.
5. When you're done dip-dying, you can dry it on a clothesline outside (or on a piece of scrap cloth inside the house). When it is dry enough that it no longer drips, you can place it on a piece of scrap cloth or thick paper towels and continue drying until it is completely dry.
6. When the lampshade is completely dry, you can place it back on top of your lamp! When the textile fabric is dry, you can sew it onto the pillowcase. You can also dip-dye hand towels, tablecloths, sheets, etc. using this method... just remember to wash and moisturize your items before making.
In just 6 simple steps, you can complete this beautiful lampshade~ Are you excited to try it?
