Is it possible to dye a prom dress

Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Choose dye created for your specific fabric. Dye adheres differently to different fabrics, so read the garment tag to figure out what your dress is made from. Some companies, like Rit, make one dye for both natural and synthetic fibers, while other companies, like iDye, have one dye for natural fabrics and one for synthetic fabrics. Make sure you have enough dye to color the fabric to the desired shade.

Protect your workspace. Spread a drop cloth, plastic sheeting, or several layers of newspaper out on your workspace. Keep paper towels handy so you can immediately clean up any drips or spills. Wear old clothes and gloves. Wear rubber gloves to keep the dye from soaking into your skin. Soak your dress in warm water. Fill a bucket or bathtub with warm water and submerge your dress until the fabric is completely soaked. Fill a bucket or stainless steel sink with very hot water.

Ensure the bucket or sink is large enough for the garment to fit in loosely. Fill a bucket or stainless steel sink with the hottest water possible from the faucet. The amount of water you need will depend on how much dye you are using, so refer to the package instructions. Add the recommended amount of dye. Read the instructions on the package to determine how much dye to add based on how much water you used.

Pour the dye into the water and use a stainless steel spoon to thoroughly mix the dye and water together. Salt helps the dye adhere to the fabric. Part 2. Submerge the dress in the dye. Ensure all the fabric is completely submerged. Stir the mixture constantly for 10 to 25 minutes. Use a stainless steel spoon or other stirring implement to stir the mixture constantly back and forth as well as up and down.

Constant stirring ensures that the fabric is evenly dyed. The color you are trying to achieve will dictate how long you let the dress soak in the dye. They Can Dye Natural Fabrics Darker Fabrics like denim, cotton, linen and muslin are easy to dye a few shades darker or even make black. So instead of tossing those red-wine-stained white jeans, give them new life as a pair of sleek black skinnies.

Leather is also very difficult to alter. It is possible to shorten or take in the waist of a fully sequined pencil skirt, but it should be done only by someone who has experience working with sequins.

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Depending on the type of material your dress is made of, you may be able to find the perfectly cut dress and turn it into the color you want. Determine what type of fabric your dress is. On most prom dresses, this information is included on the tag. If it is percent cotton, silk, linen, wool, rayon or nylon, it is most likely possible to dye it. If your dress contains over 50 percent polyester or acetate, common synthetic fibers, the material will typically not accept the color.

Read the label for washing instructions. It may also be difficult to dye a dress that you can only wash in cold water, although not impossible; if this is the case, you will need to purchase a dye that you can use with cold water.

Buy a fabric dye suitable for the material of your dress. Many larger retailers offer a small selection of these types of products in their home care departments. A craft store will typically have the best options.