I love color theory stuff and understanding undertones and how they affect the looks and feel of decor. I always take notice of and appreciate when the mainstream home decor stores have offerings of unique, complex, subtle colors. But it can be hard to find! I wanted something with a warm subtle color in our master bedroom and finding something just right was not readily available for a low cost while I was shopping. The blanket I wanted to add to our bed wasn’t for a huge functional need, but just to create more comfy layers and add a color I wanted.
I started hunting for a simple cotton blanket I could diy dye to make a cool, unique color.
I found an inexpensive 100% cotton king blanket for only $15 at bed, bath, and beyond. I’m not seeing it online anymore or I would link! White of course, perfect for dye-ing. It is nothing special so something very similar would not be too hard to find I think.
Then I purchased just some regular fabric dye and a big $10 plastic storage tub at target to do my dye-ing in. You can dye things in your washing machine, but mine is a front loader so that’s a little more complicated. It’s totally fine, especially if you have a top loader.
People have been dye-ing stuff in washing machines for decades, but I just didn’t want to mess with it. It was only $10 to do it in my yard and had a fun summer tie-dye in the grass feel.
tasseled rug | green glass lamp | gold fan lampshade | three drawer nightstand | striped duvet | floral pillowcases | olive throw pillow
PROCESS
- Fill tub with 12 gallons of water, and then boil some of it until all the water when combined reaches 140 degrees.
- I added 1 bottle “lemon yellow”, 1 bottle “golden yellow”, and 2/3 cup “dark brown” rit brand dye to create my color. Test color on a folded piece of paper towel to confirm you like it!
- Wet the blanket down and add to the bath. Stir continually for the first 10 minutes (I used a thin piece of scrap wood), then let it sit for 50 more minutes.
- Rinse blanket with cool water until the water runs clear.
- Wash in washing machine with warm water and a mild detergent. Dry like normal!
Getting more experienced with diy dye-ing has opened me up mentally to modifying or creating decor whenever I can’t find just the thing I want.
Don’t forget to check the material of what you want to dye! Certain fabrics do not take dye well. Cotton is easy and works wonderfully!
I continue to make a few more moves on our master bedroom. I’ve learned I most like to decorate in a way that’s gradual and trying different ideas out (without hopefully spending too much money experimenting!). I may try painting the nightstands soon, not loving them as medium blue. Things take time, and when we look back we’ve come so far!
