DIY Dyed Napkins: 3 Fun Twists on the Table Staple

This past year, I've gotten a little crazy with dyeing fabric. Part of the reason is the amazing gift of a huge bolt of white fabric...every crafters dream! As much as I'm a fan of the crisp clean nature of an all-white design, though, sometimes we need a little color!

A few of my colorful projects!

In comes Rit dye. Rit is a colored powder or liquid that turns water into a dyeing machine. I like working with the powder formula, which runs only a few dollars at our local craft store. There are many different techniques, but for most small projects, a bucket of hot water works just fine.

Napkins are an easy first job. You can usually track down plain white fabric napkins, and in a couple of simple steps, you can turn that traditional table staple into something modern and chic!

Materials and Supplies

• White napkins (or any white or light fabric), washed
• Rit powdered dye in Golden Yellow (To achieve a coral color, use 1 part Fuchsia to 1/2 part Golden Yellow; to achieve turquoise, use 1 part Teal to 1/4 part Golden Yellow)
• Large plastic bucket for mixing the hot water and dye
• 1 cup salt
• Squirt of liquid detergent 
• Metal spoon
• Rubber gloves
• Tarp or whatever you use to do painting/crafts (optional)

General Instructions

• Set up your dyeing area. If it is a big project, set it up outside, but for a little project like napkins, the kitchen sink works fine. (Just do a spot check with the dye first! Mine rinsed out completely with a little Barkeeper's Friend.)
• Bring 4 cups of water to simmering. Add the hot water, 1 cup salt, and powder dye into the bucket. Mix well with the spoon. Be sure and wear your gloves!
• Fill the rest of the bucket with hot water and a bit of liquid detergent.
• Get your fabric wet, and then get ready to dip! If you have a lot of fabric, you can fold it, although there may be some slight color variation along the creases (which I don't mind). 

Option #1: Ombre

• Note: If you're dying a large piece using the ombre technique, you may consider wrapping it around a dowel. For smaller projects like these napkins, you can layer the napkins on top of each other and do four at the same time.
• Dip the bottom few of inches of the napkin into the dye. Swish it back and forth, in and out of the dye, for 12-15 minutes. (You can also just let it hang over the edge for awhile.) The longer you let it sit, the darker it gets. 
• Dip more of the fabric in and do the same for less time, around 8 minutes, rolling out the fabric as you need.
• Continue dipping the fabric in, layer by layer, until you're close to the top, lessening the amount of time as you go.
• For the lightest layer, dip it in for just a second. 
• Once everything looks good, take out your dyed fabric, then rinse it in cold water, making sure the water runs down to the darkest layer.
• Finally, rinse in warm water until the water runs clear, about 10 minutes.
• Wash your fabric in warm water with detergent.
• Dry your fabric, and you're set!

Option #2: Ombre Effect with Four Napkins

• This isn't a true ombre, but you will use four different napkins to create the effect, each napkin being a slightly lighter shade.
• Place the first napkin in the dye, swish it around, and let it sit by itself for 8 minutes.
• After the eight minutes, add the second napkin and do the same, and let both sit for 4 minutes. 
• After the four minutes, add the third napkin and do the same, and let all three sit for 3 minutes.
• After the three minutes, dip the fourth and last napkin in for only a second. 
• Take the napkins out and rinse them following the same directions as Option #1.

Option #3: Sunburst/Tie-Dye

• Fold each napkin into fourths, then twist one of the closed corners well. 
• Tie the twists with a couple of rubberbands.
• Dunk the napkins in and let soak for 10-15 minutes, depending on how dark you want the color.
• Rinse before taking off the rubberbands, then take off the bands and rinse again.
• Follow the same directions as Option #1.

Colorful napkins are an easy way to dress up any table! And once you try this project, you'll be wanting to dye everything. (Just keep the kids and pets at a distance, or you may end up with more color than you asked for.)

What do you think? Will you give this a try?