Changing the color of some home accessories is easy with cold-water dye. Home economist Deborah Durham, representing Rit Dye, explains how to dye cardboard boxes and a lampshade, add color to candles and paint a canvas floor cloth. Dyeing a Lampshade Materials:
Lampshade
Tangerine liquid fabric dye
Sponge
Hot water
Two glass bowls
Wood paint-stirring stick
Note: Once pots, bowls and utensils have been used for mixing dye, they shouldn't be used again for food preparation.
- Wet the lampshade by applying water to it with a sponge.
- Mix the dye with hot water according to package directions, diluting it if you prefer a lighter color. Use a wooden stir-stick to stir the dye.
- Dip the sponge in the dye, and stroke it onto the wet lampshade (figure A).
Dyeing Cardboard Boxes Materials:
Purple liquid fabric dye
Hot water
Sponge
Cardboard boxes
Glass bowl or jar
- Mix purple fabric dye with hot water in a glass bowl or jar.
- Dip a sponge into the dye, and stroke it onto the top and sides of a cardboard box. The dye will be a lighter color when it dries. Add another layer of color, if desired, after the first coat dries (figure B).
- If you want less color, wet the box with water before applying the dye. Try using bright red and blue dye on other boxes. Then stack the colored boxes on a desk to store small items.
Floor Cloth Materials:
Liquid fabric dyes in gold, gray and red
Foam brushes or paintbrushes
Glass containers
Hot water
Artist canvas, already primed
Pencil
Crayons
Iron
Water-based polyurethane
- Mix the dyes according to package directions, using hot water. If desired, dilute the dyes for more subtle colors.
- Cut artist canvas to the desired size, and sketch a geometric design on the front.
- Use a foam brush or a paintbrush to apply the various dyes to portions of the geometric designs (figure C).
- Outline the geometric designs with crayons (figure D).
- When the canvas is dry, heat-set the dye by ironing the wrong side of the canvas with a dry iron on the wool setting.
- Seal the floor cloth with water-based polyurethane.
Candles Materials:
Recycled containers such as milk cartons, tin cans or juice cans
Paraffin
Candle wicking
Skewer
Old double boiler
Powdered fabric dye
Water
Wooden paint-stirring stick
- Prepare recycled containers such as milk cartons, tin cans or juice cans for use as candle molds by washing them thoroughly. Tie candle wicking to the center of a skewer, and rest the skewer across the top opening of the container, with the wick hanging into the container (figure E).
- Melt paraffin in an old double boiler by placing water in the lower pot and paraffin in the upper pot. Do not use these pots or utensils for food preparation after melting wax in them.
- Pour powdered dye into melted paraffin. Stir the dye into the wax with a wooden paint-stirring stick. Liquid dye will not mix with paraffin.
- Pour the dyed paraffin into the prepared molds. Let the candles harden overnight, or place them in the refrigerator to speed the process (figure F).
- Remove the molds by peeling them away from the hardened wax.
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