DIY Dip-Dye Ribbons

The ladies from HEYLOOK created this quick Valentine’s Day gift packaging for the last minute gift you got your honey, complete with watercolor gift tags (also great for favors)! These lovely dip-dyed ribbons for packaging remind us of hand dyed silk ribbons, though for much less. You could use one of these ribbons and fabric stiffener or cornstarch to create a bow to embellish your a simple white wedding cake. Just sayin’.

For this project, you will need:

– White cotton fabric (or any other non-synthetic fabric) torn or cut into strips. You can use muslin fabric (available at craft stores) or sheets
– Cloth dye or liquid fabric paint
– Water and dipping dishes

Prepare your fabric strips by rolling them into small rolls that will fit your dipping dishes. If you’re using fabric dye, follow the instructions on the package to prepare the dye (most likely you will need hot water). We used liquid fabric paint and mixed it with water in a ratio of 1:2. The more water you add, the lighter the color will be. Just experiment a little.

Dip the fabric rolls into the dye as shown on the picture. For the two colored ribbon, let the paint drip off a little, then turn the roll around and dip the other side into the other dye. For larger gradients, just let the roll sit in the dye for a moment until the paint is soaked through the roll about half way.

For softer color, soak the fabric roll in water first, then dip shortly into paint. Try out different ways to get variating effects. Play around. Let the dipped rolls dry on a paper sheet until they are not wet anymore, only moist. Unroll and hang the ribbons to dry.