Let’s get ice dyeing! Recently the lovely people at Dylon (Dylon.co.uk) offered to send me some of their dyes to do a DIY with, obviously I jumped at the chance! As you may have seen from my Ombré sock DIY, I love using Dylon so was really excited to be sent some dye. I wanted to do something a little more exciting than a usual tie-dye or dip dye and after much deliberation went for a technique called ice dyeing.
It’s really really easy to do, this is defo a no craft skills required kind of craft. The idea behind ice dying is that you layer dye onto ice on top of your fabric, as the ice melts and the dye hits the fabric different sections of fabric will be dyed for longer than others, this means some bits will have a strong colour and others will be a lot fainter. What you are left with at the end is a beautiful watercolour/galaxy effect.
I have chosen to brighten up a calico makeup bag, I’m always in need of pretty little bags for makeup bits and other random rubbish I carry around with me so I thought making my own instead of picking one up in Primark would be good idea, a major plus of ice dyeing it means no one else will have the same one!
Here’s how you can get ice dyeing everything at home, it’s so cool! (Haha had to get at least one ice pun in!)
YOU WILL NEED:
Dylon Hand Dye 250g (I used Powder pink and French Lavender)
A large box or tray.
A cooling rack
A spoon
Ice (I bought mine from a shop because I’m super lazy and there wasn’t room in the freezer to freeze any)
Salt
Make up bag or item you want to dye ( make sure it’s not pure polyester, acrylic or nylon as these fabrics won’t dye, something cotton, linen or viscose will work best!)
STEP ONE:
Set up your dyeing station, pop your cooling rack onto of your box/tray. The cooling rack will allow the melted ice to drip through and be collected in the box which means a lot less mess!
STEP TWO:
Lay your makeup bag onto the cooling rack, make sure it is flat.
Do not pre-wet the makeup bag as this will make the colour run and the effect will not work as well.
STEP THREE:
“You’re as cold as ice”
Take your ice and lay it evenly onto the makeup bag try to get as much coverage as possible especially at the edges, build it up a little too.
STEP FOUR:
Open your dye, ignore the directions on the back of the packet. Take your spoon and sprinkle the dye powder over the ice. Use both colours to cover the ice. Big lumps of colour here and there are a good thing!
Sprinkle some salt over the ice. About a tablespoon is good.
STEP FIVE:
Leave the ice to melt, I popped mine in a sunny spot and left it whilst I caught up on my fave tv programmes!
Check on it every now and then sprinkling a tablespoon of salt on up to three times, this will not only help the ice to melt it will also help develop the dye.
My ice took about three hours to melt. I’m not the most patient of people but it will be worth it in the end!
STEP SIX:
Once your ice has melted, leave for 30mins and then rinse in cold water until the water runs clear.
STEP SEVEN:
Let it dry and then give it an iron. I know ironing is boring but it will help set your colour and will make your bag look beautiful.
STEP EIGHT:
Fill your bag with beautiful things and take it with you everywhere, your friends will be super jealous!
Hope your loving ice dyeing as much as I am, I’m off to dye all of the things!
P.S Disclaimer -I was very very lucky to be given the dye for this tutorial by the lovely people at Dylon! All other materials were provided by me!