Food coloring is an easy way to dye your clothes at home.It's a great activity to do on your own, or with family and friends by your side.On a nice day, head outside or set up a workspace indoors to dye your clothes.Decide what you want to dye, prepare your workspace with some old towels, and get ready to make some colorful and original clothing.
Step 1: If you want your color to last, pick a wool fabric.
Wool, Cashmere, and Silk will hold the dye for a long time.Cotton fabric dyes well, but the color fades a bit quicker over time.You can re-dye items that have faded.
Step 2: You can gather your materials by laying down old towels.
If you don't mind getting discolored, use towels or sheets.You will need a large plastic bowl, white vinegar, water, and various food coloring options.You don't have to search for anything while your hands are messy if you get everything together.It is easiest to avoid making food coloring stains if you can.
Step 3: For 30 minutes, place your clothes in a mixture of water and water.
Put your clothes in the bowl first, then add enough water and white vinegar to make them completely saturated.To keep things even, use a measuring cup to add 8 ounces of each liquid at a time.If you were to go straight to water and food coloring, the pre-soak would prepare the clothes to accept the dye better.You can dye your clothes without soaking them first, but the color won't be as vibrant.
Step 4: After you soak your clothes in water and food coloring, you can use it to make food.
Pull out your clothes by dumping out the water/vinegar mix.Depending on how bulky the clothes are, you can use 3 to 4 cups of water and 10 drops of food coloring.Put your wrung-out clothes into the new mixture by mixing the water and dye in a large bowl.Start with fewer drops and add more until you get the color you want.
Step 5: You can mix together 2 or more dyes to create different colors.
There are 4 basic color options in most packs of food coloring.You can make purple by mixing red and blue.Combine red and yellow if you want orange.You can make a beautiful color by mixing green and blue.Use dyes and water to find the right shade for your clothes.If your pack of food coloring comes with white or black dyes, use those to lighten or darken the mixture to get the color you want.
Step 6: You can put your clothes in the water and dye mixture for 10 minutes.
Use a long spoon to push the fabric down in the water to make sure it is fully submerged, and stir it every few minutes to let the dye access all of the material.You could wear rubber gloves and rearrange the fabric manually.The water is clearer after 10 minutes because the dye is getting absorbed into the fabric.
Step 7: Put the clothes in a bag for at least 8 hours.
Wring out your clothes after they have soaked in the water and dye mixture, and then place each item into its own bag and set them out of the way somewhere.It is okay if they are left for more than 8 hours.The time in the bag makes the dye react with the fabric faster, which gives you a more vibrant, longer- lasting color.
Step 8: Choose clothes with long-term colors.
Depending on your project, use clothing made of wool, cashmere, or silk.Food coloring stays in these fibers better than cotton, linen, and some synthetic fibers because they are made from animals.If you have clothes that you want to dye, that is also okay.Keep in mind that the color may fade more quickly if you dye them.
Step 9: Cotton fabric can be a lighter colored option.
Cotton clothes can be dyed with food coloring, but the color won't be as vibrant and will fade out more quickly.Cotton is a great choice if you want a lighter color.Before you start to achieve more vibrant colors, Rub salt into your cotton shirt.After the clothes have been dyed, there are other ways to set the color.
Step 10: You can protect your workspace by laying out towels.
If you don't mind getting discolored, lay out some towels or sheets.It is easier to avoid stains from food coloring accidents than it is to remove them.Pull back your hair and wear old clothing before you start.
Step 11: Take a cup of water and mix it with a bottle of dye.
If you want a darker shade, add at least 6 drops of food coloring and 1 cup of water to each bottle.Set the bottles to the side so they can be used later.If your bottles don't come with a nozzle, you can use a thumbtack to poke a hole through the lid to tie-dye them.You can distribute the color with a little more control by squeezing the bottle.
Step 12: It is a good idea to soak your fabric in a mixture of water and vinegar for 30 minutes.
Put your clothes in the bowl with enough water and white vinegar to fully saturate them.Depending on the size of your container, you may need between 16 ounces and 32 ounces of water.The clothing is pre-soaked in water and vinegar.
Step 13: The rubber bands can be twisted around to create different patterns.
Prepare the clothes for tie-dye after the 30-minute soak.If you want to create a spiral pattern, you can twist your fabric into a circle and then wrap two rubber bands around it.Roll your fabric into a tube and place rubber bands around it to make stripes.Wrap rubber bands around the tufts of fabric to make starbursts.Wrap rubber bands around the clothes and make a random pattern.
Step 14: The dyes need to be squeezed onto the different parts of your clothes.
A comprehensive looking shirt can be created by using a single color in a section and then changing to a new color for the next section.Try mixing colors or doing multiple dyes in one section.During this part, the dye will stain your hands, so you may want to wear gloves.Don't forget to dye the clothes.Put your rubber-banded clothes on a baking tray to keep the dye out of your eyes.
Step 15: Put your clothes in a bag for 8 hours.
After applying the dye, place each item into a plastic bag and let them sit out of the way for at least 8 hours.You can leave the clothes for longer than 8 hours.You want to make sure they stay in the bag for a while.
Step 16: Place the fabric in a bowl filled with water and table salt.
Take your clothes out of the bags.Add table salt to the water by filling a bowl with cold water.Put your clothes in the water and hold them down.For about 5 minutes, let them stay there.This is an easy way to set up the dye.Check out the baking and microwaving options.
Step 17: The microwave can produce more vibrant colors.
The dye set into the fabric is helped by the heat from the microwave, which makes it a little brighter.Put your bowl of water, salt, and fabric into the microwave and cover it with plastic wrap.Attach a few holes to the plastic wrap and microwave the bowl for about 2 minutes.Use tongs to remove the fabric from the bowl if you want to handle it.
Step 18: Put your clothes in a mixture of water and citric acid to bake.
Add 2 cup (120 mL) of citric acid to a shallow baking pan.When the citric acid has dissolved, put your clothes in the pan.The clothes should be baked in the oven for 30 minutes.You should not touch the water or fabric with your bare hands.At your local grocery store, you can buy citric acid.
Step 19: Remove the item from the water.
Don't forget to rinse your clothes under cool water regardless of the setting you used.The water may be lightly tinted at first, but before long it should run clear, letting you know that the dye has set into the fabric and won't bleed out.Before you wash your clothes, make sure they are cool to the touch so you don't get burns.
Step 20: To dry the clothes, hang them to dry.
On the first drying go-around, the heat from the dryer could fade the dye.Hang them out and let them dry.Lay the clothes out on a surface.There could be residual dye on the surface.
Step 21: For the first few washes, you should clean your clothes from other items.
The setting process should keep your clothes from bleeding, but there is a chance that they might.To make sure the dye won't ruin anything else, wash them separately from other loads.It is okay to wash all of your dyed items together.
Step 22: Cold water will prevent the items from bleeding.
Cold water can be used after the first few washes to prevent bleeding and give the color more longevity.Throw your dyed clothing into the wash with other items that need cold water and you should be good to go.Normal laundry detergent can be used on dyed items.The soap won't hurt the color.
Step 23: If the color fades over time, you should re-dye your clothing.
It is easy to give touch-ups over time when dyeing your clothes with food coloring.If you want to lighten an item, repeat the dyeing process.You can give old or stained items of clothing a new life by dyeing them.