Did you know….Tea isn’t just for drinking!?! That’s right! I’m using tea a fabric dye!
I am working on a refashion that I wanted to add some lace trim to, but the trim I had on hand was stark white. That was not the look I was going for with this particular refashion. I have actually been itching to try tea dying! I have seen great results with tea dying in achieving a “vintage” or “primitive” look.
I gathered 8 tea bags. Tied them together. Filled a pot of water 3/4 the way full. Heated the water until almost a simmer and turned the heat to low. I let the tea bags steep in the water for 10 minutes. Turned off the heat. Squeezed the water out of the tea bags and removed them. Pre-wetted the lace trim in hot water. Then I added the lace trim to the tea bath.
Soups on! Hahaha! I kept the lace in the tea bath for 40 minutes. The lace is actually 100% polyester, which does not take dye very well. So, I figured the longer I kept it in the bath the better chance I had of achieving the right color!
After 40 minutes I took the lace out and rinsed it in cold water.
It’s not a huge difference but at least the white is more muted. It will work for what I need it to do. I can’t wait to try tea dye on something 100% cotton!
Stay tuned to see how I use this on a refashion!
Happy Refashioning!!!
TheRefashStash 