Inspired by a post from the blog Poppytalk, here is our own extremely simple way to customize your fabric. We chose to do small kitchen towel sized swatches but there is no limit to this project. Feel free to make anything from table napkins to window curtains!

Materials:

Fabric – cotton muslin, linen, ect., washed, dried and pressed.

Dye or Fabric ink

Painters tape

Scissors

Application Instruments – Paint brushes, sponges, ect.

Small Containers

Water

1. Prepare your surface. To protect your table or countertop from the dye cover it with plastic like a trash bag or line it with foam and cover it with unwanted fabric.

2. Mix your dye’s to get the appropriate colors for what you want to create. We used Rit Dye, so we placed the powdered dye into a plastic container then added various amounts of water to create lighter and darker colors.

3. Lay out your fabric and create various designs using your painters tape. Be creative! Cut the tape to make thinner lines, create shapes, or go without the tape and free hand a water color painting.

4. Apply your dye using sponges, paintbrushes, stamps, or whatever else you find!

5. Lay flat to dry and remove the tape. Allow your fabric to completely dry before rinsing.

For the first few times, make sure to wash your dyed fabric separately to ensure that all the excess dye has been removed and will not stain your other fabrics.