Sometimes you really want the look of new linens or clothing but what you already have is still perfectly usable. That was the case with our bassinet skirt. I’ve used the same bassinet for both my daughters and it has some small stains, and general dinginess. Not to mention I’m a little bored with the frilly new baby look and wanted something that would blend in a little more with my bedroom decor. It’s in cases like this that a dye job is exactly what is in order.

If you’re as unlucky as I am, there isn’t a safe place in your home to work with permanent dye without creating a huge mess. In my home the only mess-free way of using fabric dye is in the washing machine. You lose some of the control over the final outcome, but you can still achieve a quality, permanent dye in a short amount of time with nearly no clean up. In this tutorial I will show one way of using your top loading washing machine to dye fabric.

There are many varieties of home dyes. I am most familiar with the brand Rit because I can pick it up at my grocery store for a dollar or two, so that is what brand I will use in this tutorial. I mixed Scarlet Red and Dark Green to hopefully get a deep brown.

When choosing a fabric for dyeing you have to keep in mind that natural materials will absorb dye more easily than synthetics. Waterproof fabrics will not absorb it at all. My fabric is 100% cotton with a polyester section. There are also eyelet lace embellishments throughout. I wasn’t sure how the different attributes would react to the dye, but I gave it a go anyway. If you are ever in doubt and don’t want to lose the whole garment, be sure to check the fabric by dyeing a small inconspicuous place first.

My package of dye recommends adding a cup of salt to the hot water dye bath. Follow your package instructions as it may have different amounts of each ingredient listed.

Next the package called to add 1T of detergent to the dye bath.

I set the water level to low, as it will leave the concentration of the dye high, but still fully cover the fabric I intend to dye. I added all the ingredients to the washer as the water was filling, but I did NOT add my fabric yet. I want to be sure that the dye is equally dissolved before I put the fabric in to prevent spotting.

Now that I have a hot sudsy bath of dissolved dye I drop the fabric in and allow the machine to agitate. Leave the lid open if you can so that it is easy to check the progress of the color absorption.

After one short cycle, but before the water drains, check the status of your fabric’s new color. If you like it proceed to the next step. If it isn’t rich enough set the cycle  back to agitate for another short cycle. Keep repeating until you have the color you want.

Let the machine drain and rinse. Run the rinse cycle on cold over and over again until the rinse water runs clear. Last of all toss the fabric into the dryer and dry it on the hottest setting your fabric allows. The heat will set the dye in the fabric and help prevent bleeding onto other clothes. Still as a precaution, you should wash your newly dyed item separately for a while until you are sure the color is fast.

Then you get to enjoy the new color of your fabric. I really love how the brown dyed so richly on the cotton, but isn’t as deep on the thread of the eyelet lace. It makes for a more dynamic look.

Keep in mind that these instructions are for Rit dye, and may work for other varieties of dye, but you must follow the instructions on your package for best results. And most important, the dye is intended to be permanent! So happy, but careful, dyeing.