How to Dye (Almost) Anything You Can Get Your Hands On – The Natural Materials Guide

A long while back, I shared the how-to for dyeing synthetic materials with my faux fur rug project and it’s been on my list ever since to share how to dye non-synthetic / natural materials as well – like cotton, silk, even wood and paper. So, today’s the day.

After dyeing everything from napkins and cardstock to hankies and woven baskets, I’ve learned a whole lot of tricks (with a few mistakes along the way that I’ll never repeat again). So, today I’m sharing the basics, which I’ve strangely never actually shared. Click through to find out how to dye pretty much any natural fiber imaginable with this simple tutorial.

Before we get started, I wanted to mention, two things…

1) If you have a synthetic fabric, be sure to check out my other tutorial the definitive guide to dying synthetic materials. The post you’re reading right is for natural materials.

2) There are a handful of ways to dye natural fibers. But there’s only one method that I use because I find it’s the easiest (for me at least). So that’s the one I’m going to be talking about. It’s essentially tub dyeing, without the tub…I just use a giant 5-10 gallon plastic container (the kind that you’d usually use to store old clothes, etc in the back of your closet)…

Materials Needed

• natural fiber fabric (cotton, wool, silk, etc)
• liquid fabric dye (I like Rit – I buy it on Amazon)
• 1 cup of salt (only if dyeing cotton)
• hot water (3 gallons)
• large container for dye bath
• gloves
• spoon for stirring
• rubber gloves

Note: For 1 pound of dry fabric (somewhere around 3 yards), I use 1/2 bottle of Rit liquid dye and 3 gallons of water. You can also use one package of Rit powder with 3 galloons of water, but I usually use the liquid version (its a preference thing).

How to Dye Pretty Much Anything

1. Submerge fabric in a bowl of water (or run it underneath the sink) and wring out the excess. Set aside.

2. Next, put on gloves and pour liquid fabric dye (you can use powder as well, but the instructions may vary a tiny bit if using powder) into a container filled with 3 gallons of hot water. I usually just use the hottest tap water possible (but it can also be boiled, if your faucet water doesn’t get very hot).

3. If working with cotton, measure out 1 cup of salt and pour into the dye bath. Then, stir the dye bath thoroughly with a large spoon until dissolved. If working with a non-cotton natural material, skip this step.

4. Next, place the fabric into the dye bath, making sure it’s fully submerged and able to move around. And let it sit for 20-30 minutes (string every 5-10 minutes). The longer the fabric is in the dye, the deeper the color will be.

Note: If you’re planning to dip dye or shibori dye your fabric, skip step 5, follow these instructions instead: dip dye DIY and shibori dye DIY. 

5. Slowly remove the fabric from the dye once you’ve reached the desired color. Color will look darker / richer when first removed than it will when washed and dried, so keep that in mind. 

6. Then squeeze out any remaining water/dye from the fabric and wash out under running water in the sink (make sure the sink you use is non-porous – stainless steel sinks are great) until water runs clear.

7. Then run through the washer and dryer. And it’s ready to use.

Note: If you’re dyeing something other than fabric, skip step 7. Only fabrics need to be put in the washer and dryer.

That’s it. Not too bad, right? Dyeing projects are one of my favorite things to do, DIY-wise, because it’s basically an instant gratification scenario (and the process is quick and easy).

Have you dyed anything before? Fabric, wood, yarn, etc? Do you have any dyeing questions I can answer? Let me know in the comments below.