DIY Dyed Napkins: 3 Fun Twists on the Table Staple

This past year, I’ve gotten a little crazy with dyeing fabric. Part of the reason is the amazing gift of a huge bolt of white fabric…every crafters dream! As much as I’m a fan of the crisp clean nature of an all-white design, though, sometimes we need a little color!

In comes Rit dye. Rit is a colored powder or liquid that turns water into a dyeing machine. I like working with the powder formula, which runs only a few dollars at our local craft store. There are many different techniques, but for most small projects, a bucket of hot water works just fine.

Napkins are an easy first job. You can usually track down plain white fabric napkins, and in a couple of simple steps, you can turn that traditional table staple into something modern and chic!

Materials and Supplies

White napkins (or any white or light fabric), washed
Rit powdered dye in Golden Yellow (To achieve a coral color, use 1 part Fuchsia to 1/2 part Golden Yellow; to achieve turquoise, use 1 part Teal to 1/4 part Golden Yellow)
Large plastic bucket for mixing the hot water and dye
1 cup salt
Squirt of liquid detergent
Metal spoon
Rubber gloves
Tarp or whatever you use to do painting/crafts (optional)

General Instructions

Set up your dyeing area. If it is a big project, set it up outside, but for a little project like napkins, the kitchen sink works fine. (Just do a spot check with the dye first! Mine rinsed out completely with a little Barkeeper’s Friend.)
Bring 4 cups of water to simmering. Add the hot water, 1 cup salt, and powder dye into the bucket. Mix well with the spoon. Be sure and wear your gloves!
Fill the rest of the bucket with hot water and a bit of liquid detergent.
Get your fabric wet, and then get ready to dip! If you have a lot of fabric, you can fold it, although there may be some slight color variation along the creases (which I don’t mind).

Option #1: Ombre

Note: If you’re dying a large piece using the ombre technique, you may consider wrapping it around a dowel. For smaller projects like these napkins, you can layer the napkins on top of each other and do four at the same time.
Dip the bottom few of inches of the napkin into the dye. Swish it back and forth, in and out of the dye, for 12-15 minutes. (You can also just let it hang over the edge for awhile.) The longer you let it sit, the darker it gets.
Dip more of the fabric in and do the same for less time, around 8 minutes, rolling out the fabric as you need.
Continue dipping the fabric in, layer by layer, until you’re close to the top, lessening the amount of time as you go.
For the lightest layer, dip it in for just a second.
Once everything looks good, take out your dyed fabric, then rinse it in cold water, making sure the water runs down to the darkest layer.
Finally, rinse in warm water until the water runs clear, about 10 minutes.
Wash your fabric in warm water with detergent.
Dry your fabric, and you’re set!

Option #2: Ombre Effect with Four Napkins

This isn’t a true ombre, but you will use four different napkins to create the effect, each napkin being a slightly lighter shade.
Place the first napkin in the dye, swish it around, and let it sit by itself for 8 minutes.
After the eight minutes, add the second napkin and do the same, and let both sit for 4 minutes.
After the four minutes, add the third napkin and do the same, and let all three sit for 3 minutes.
After the three minutes, dip the fourth and last napkin in for only a second.
Take the napkins out and rinse them following the same directions as Option #1.

Option #3: Sunburst/Tie-Dye

Fold each napkin into fourths, then twist one of the closed corners well.
Tie the twists with a couple of rubberbands.
Dunk the napkins in and let soak for 10-15 minutes, depending on how dark you want the color.
Rinse before taking off the rubberbands, then take off the bands and rinse again.
Follow the same directions as Option #1.

Colorful napkins are an easy way to dress up any table! And once you try this project, you’ll be wanting to dye everything. (Just keep the kids and pets at a distance, or you may end up with more color than you asked for.)