DIY Dip-Dye Ombre Napkins


Difficulty level:
Beginner
Time required: 30 minutes
Age range: 12 and up

Things you’ll need:
Linen or cotton napkin
Plastic container or stainless steel sink
1 cup salt
Dish detergent
Rubber gloves
Dowel
Clothespins
RIT purple powder dye

Things to do:

  1. Wash and rinse the napkin in warm soapy water to remove any residue. Do not dry the napkin, as it will be placed in the dye bath while wet.
  2. Fill a plastic container or stainless steel sink with 3 gallons of hot water, about 140 degrees. If your water is not hot enough, RIT Dye recommends heating water on the stove and adding it to the container.
  3. While wearing gloves, add the following to the water: 1 cup salt, 1 teaspoon of dish detergent, and 1 pack of RIT dye.
  4. Divide the napkin into three equal sections. Mark each section with a clothespin.
  5. Wrap the napkin around the dowel, leaving the first section of the napkin exposed. If the napkin is too wide for your sink or container, fold it in half before you wrap it.
  6. Dip the first section of the napkin into the dye bath. Remove the clothespin and allow the napkin to soak for 10 minutes. Move the napkin back and forth, as well as up and down, as it is being dyed.
  7. Unwrap the napkin so that the middle section is dipped in the bath. Remove the clothespin. Allow the napkin to soak for 5 minutes, again moving it back and forth periodically. If you need to, clip the top of the napkin with clothespins to hold it in place on the dowel.
  8. Dip the entire napkin into the dye bath for about half a minute, or just until it’s a very light shade.
  9. Remove the napkin from the dye bath. Rinse the napkin in cool water until the water runs clear. Wash and rinse the napkin in warm water, then dry it.

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