Monday, September 3, 2012

Easy Breezy Dip Dye Curtains

Hello All! I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend! 

I'm finally back with a DIY project to share with you. Way back in the day; when we first moved in to our rental here in Oklahoma, I shared our kitchen dining area with you in our house tour. I had a few ideas to spruce it up and succeeded in changing up the light fixture but progress stopped there.

Until Now! Check it out-




I'd been wanting to try dip dying ever since I saw some inspirational ideas on Martha Stewart a while back. I mean, the last time I had tie dye'd anything was in Girl Scouts a gazillion years ago. I've been wanting to make some curtains for this area for a long time so I went forth and conquered! 

I was a little intimidated because of the possible mess and Smurf Blue stained hands but the process wasn't as scary as I thought it might be.

I started by buying some some cheap twin size sheets at Walmart to use for the curtains like I've done before and got to work. I hemmed the sheets to the length I needed and cut open the large top hem so I could string the curtains onto the rod.

Then I gathered my supplies for the dying. I found a great tutorial from Rit Dye here. Basically all you need is fabric dye, salt, water, a large bucket, rubber gloves, a spoon, and a plastic drop cloth to catch drips.


Then I used rubber bands to cut off the parts I didn't want dye'd. Notice how I have 3 sheets? I bought an extra one for possible mess ups (which I did end up needing). 


Then I mixed the dye according to the directions on the bottle while trying really hard not to spill any in the kitchen before carrying it out to the garage.


Then just let my fabric soak. The directions say 10 minutes but I left it in for about 15 minutes to achieve a darker shade of blue.


Next I hung the curtains out to dry. I had to take a sneak peek during this process- I was worried my rubber bands weren't tight enough and that the blue dye may have seeped through. But in the end my worries were unfounded! And luckily my hands were spared any blue dye.


Here they are hanging in our kitchen!! I like how they are light and airy, casual and fun. I like the softness they bring to this wall. Something it desperately needed.






The cost for this project was practically nothing. The sheets were $6 each and the dye was only $2-3 and can be found at your local grocery in the detergent section. I bought mine at Walmart. All the other supplies I had on hand. 

And the overall dying process didn't take as long as I expected- maybe an hour. That included the mixing and dipping. It took a while to get the rubber bands placed where I needed though.

So if your looking for one of kind, unique, and inexpensive curtains this technique could be for you! 





What do you think? Have you ever dye'd anything? 

9 comments:

Courtney said...

These look so great Rachelle!! The rubber bands did their job, I always wondered if they'd be enough...and they are!
I've just posted about my recent (and first!) dyeing experience, love the results;)

Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication said...

So fun! I love them!

Heaven's Walk said...

Love the beachy look they give your kitchen, Rachelle! I've been wanting to try dying a pillow slip or two, bought all the supplies....and now I'll rest my fears and just jump in with both feet. lol! You made it sound so very easy! Thanks for the great tut!

xoxo laurie

cheap mattresses said...

Kudos! The idea and outcome was great. I'll try it this weekend.

Mally said...

I really like the look of the tie dye. They look really nice in your kitchen. Love the Smirf Blue. Very cute.

Meg said...

These turned out great Rachelle! Blue and white are my favorite! I've always wanted to try tie dye as well. Well done!

Thanks for sharing at The All Star Block Party!

Unknown said...

These look great. I am thinking they would be great in my stepsons' beach themed bedroom! This looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing on Tout It Tuesday! Hope to see you tomorrow.

Meg said...

I'm featuring your curtains on this weeks All Star Block Party!

http://www.nutmegplace.com/2012/09/all-star-block-party-15.html

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for linking up to my party! Hope to see you back this weekend.