diy:. dip-dyed scarves.

I love dyeing things.  I just need to get that out there.  It's just such a fun, and generally quick, way to give new life to fabric materials and there are so many different techniques that you can use to create different results.  My favourite is ombre dyeing, where the colour softly fades from a deep, saturated shade to something much lighter.  I like soft things.  While flipping through Martha Stewart's lovely website I saw instructions on how to dip-dye scarves and I decided it was time to break out the fabric dye and salt baths again.

Dip-dyeing is the process of folding your material and then just dipping a portion of the end into the dye, so that when it is unfolded there is a pattern of dyed and un-dyed fabric.  It's super simple.  And of course you can incorporate ombre dyeing into this so that the transition from dyed to un-dyed fabric is much softer.  These scarves were super simple to dye and I absolutely love how they turned out.  You can never have too many scarves.  Especially in the freezing cold prairies.

you need:
_fabric dye that is appropriate for the fabric you choose.  i used RIT in royal blue and pearl grey.
_scarf. i used rayon ones ordered from Dharma Trading Co.  i ordered three of the 11" x 60" scarves and sewed two together to make the longer grey scarf.  they also offer cotton, silk and bamboo scarves for a super reasonable price.
_a plastic container large enough to fit the width of your folded scarf.  you won't be using a large amount of dye so the smaller the container the easier it will be to dye the depth of your scarf.
_pants hanger.  you can also use clothes pins.

steps based on martha's diy here.
1_accordion fold your scarf, pressing it flat with an iron.  larger folds equal more space between dye, smaller folds equal less white space. i found it easier to clip the scarf to the hanger after i had dyed it.
2_set up your dye station.  this is best to do outside, but isn't really that messy as long as you cover whatever surface you are working on.  prepare dye according to manufacturer's directions.  mine required 2 cups of really hot water for one packet of dye and suggested adding 1 cup of salt since i was dyeing rayon.  wet your fabric.  this helps the dye spread more evenly.
3_ dye your scarf.  you can either dip your scarf in until desired depth and leave for 10-20 minutes to get the deepest, solid colour, or if you want an ombre effect dip fabric in to desired depth for two minutes, then pull out of dye 1/4 of the way and leave for 5 minutes, pull out another 1/4 and leave for 10 minutes and leave the final 1/4 in for 15 minutes. ****important note, your scarf loses a ton of dye during the multiple rinsing processes, so even when you think your desired shade is reached, leave it in for longer, otherwise you will end up with a very pale scarf.  I rinsed my grey scarf again after I took these photos and it faded quite a bit more.  lesson learned.  but if that does happen, don't panic, you can always re-dye it!
4_rinse your scarves under cold water until water runs clear.  let folded scarf hang dry, either by pinning to a clothesline or on a hanger.  the manufacturer suggests letting it dry out of direct sunlight.  i unfolded my scarves after a few hours and let them dry full length and it went much faster. 
5_after scarves are dry wash with mild soap in warm water and rinse in cold water.  let dry, possibly iron out the wrinkles and wear!

The blue scarf is a little short to wear as a scarf so I plan on tying it into a headband most of the time.  I love all the ways you can wear scarves as headbands!

 

check out this post at a beautiful mess for more ways to wear your scarf as a headband.

 

Have a lovely week.  xo, T.