Bed Linen
Tie-dyed clothes were all the rage during the 70s. They were most popular amongst the hippies and were available in any colour possibly imagined. Here is how you can tie-dye an old piece of bed linen that you may have put away because it was starting to get discoloured.
- Before you start, put on rubber gloves and an old t-shirt to avoid staining your other clothes. Fabric dye is impossible to wash off and will stick permanently if it comes in contact with any cloth.
- Get ready a basin that is big enough for you to soak your entire bed spread.
- Now, to create tie-dyed patterns. Start from the very center of the bed spread. Place a smooth round rock in the center of the bed spread. Bunch up the bedspread with the rock inside and tie it up with a piece of string tightly. Continue tying up the bunched up bedspread at even intervals. Another alternative would be to create patches all over the bedspread by tying smooth rocks and coins of different sizes at random places.
- Once you are satisfied, prepare the fabric dye according to the instructions provided. There are two types of dye, a cold dye and a hot dye. Cold dyes do not need to be dissolved in hot. For this project, it would be more practical to use cold dyes as it might not be easy to find a big enough pot in which you can boil your bed spread in. Also, for this project, do not worry about not getting an even shade because that is precisely the point of tie-dying. To dye an entire bedspread, you may need approximately four to five pieces of fabric dye.
- Once you have the fabric dye ready, soak the entire bed spread in the solution. Press the bed spread into the solution a few times and stir it around to ensure that the entire piece is soaked. Leave the bedspread in the fabric dye solution for a couple of hours, or according to the instructions.
- When drying your bedspread for the first time, keep it tied up to get more distinct patterns. It may take longer to dry, but the wait is definitely worth it. You can untie all the knots once the bedspread is dried.
- Once your bedspread is completely dried, prepare a colour-enhancer solution. You can usually purchase this separately while purchasing your fabric dyes. Alternatively, mix sea salt and vinegar into a basin of water and soak the bedspread in the solution. This will help seal in the dye. You now have a tie-dyed bed spread.
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryanndame/2945402239/
