How to Dye Fabric Decor Items

Do you remember how my living room was decorated for fall last year? I used neutral tans and brown with an accent of green on my sofa. I also bought 2 new Pottery Barn throw pillow covers in cream, tan and rust.

Large wood bowl on ottoman filled with battery operated off-white pillar candles in a living room.

I was into the new pillow covers last fall, but when I got them out this year they didn’t thrill me anymore. This fall I am craving more deeper colors in the room.

close up of fall colored throw pillow covers from Pottery Barn — BEFORE: Pillow Covers

The covers were expensive and I felt like I needed to use them. After some thought I got the idea to dye them blue.

I was a bit hesitant to dye them at first as I have never dyed anything before and wasn’t sure the tapestry style and woven fabrics could be dyed successfully.

After doing some “how to dye fabric” research online I began to feel confident I should at least try it as I like to experiment and learn new ways of changing what I already own.

2 dyed denim blue throw pillows on a white sofa

I am so glad I dyed them! The pillow covers are now a blue color that will go with the cozy, moody, yet cheery fall look I want to create in the living room.

How I Dyed My Fabric Pillow Covers

After doing how to dye fabric research, I chose to use Rit All-Purpose dye. (This is not a sponsored post)

Rit sells a few different formulas to dye all sorts of fabric as well as many other items in any color you can possibly imagine. I was surprised to find out just how many things can be dyed.

Their dyes come in liquid and powder formulas in both their All-Purpose dye and their newer DyeMore dyes made for synthetic fabrics.

If you can’t find the color you want in their line of colors, they even have a Rit Dye Custom Color Formula Page where you will find charts showing what colors of dye to mix to get pretty much any or the exact color you want.

a bottle of Rit All purpose dye in the color denim blue

Select Your Method

I learned so much about the process of dying fabric and feel like a pro now. If you are thinking about dying an item you first you have to choose your color, then you need to figure out the method of dying that will be the best for the item.

-For general dye projects, use the sink, bucket or large plastic bin method with very hot or boiling water. I used a large plastic bin.

-If you are looking to achieve as vibrant a color as possible (or dyeing nylon), use the stovetop method and double the amount of dye. This is where you find the largest pot you own and use it to dye your item(s).

-If you want to dye large items or are looking for the easiest dye method, then use the washing machine method.

supplies needed:

Rit All-Purpose Dye in color you desire or mix a custom color. I used the liquid dye in the bottle in the color Denim Blue
A bottle of Rit ColorStay Dye Setter
Bucket, large pot or plastic bin
Rubber gloves
Tongs
1 cup salt
1 tsp dish detergent

Where to Find Rit Dye Custom Color Mixing Charts

Two Fall colored throw pillows lined up on a white sofa.

I followed the directions on the Rit Dye website. They are so well written: How to Dye with Rit All-Purpose Dye. I also watched the video (shown below) to become familiar with the fabric dying process.

I had fabulous results. So much so that I went on to dye two pieces of white clothing in a brown color to wear now that fall will soon be here.

Fall colored throw pillows lined up on a white sofa. Last one was dyed blue with Rit Dye. — Olive Green Velvet Pillow Covers

For a few dollars a bottle, dying fabric decor items like changing the color of pillow covers, drapes, towels, napkins and more is totally worth the effort.

How To Set Dye In Fabric

One question I have gotten after dying the pillow covers is how do you make sure the color won’t run or be blotchy? The answer is that you use salt or vinegar depending on the fabric and a teaspoon of dish detergent in the dye bath. These help the color dye evenly on the fabric.

Once I liked the deepness of the blue dye on my pillow covers, I emptied the dye bath and items from the plastic bin I used to dye the covers.

Then I filled the bin up again with warm water and added ColorStay Dye Fixative to the water and placed the items back into the mix for 20 minutes. The dye fixative is an easy-to-use solution designed to lock in color, keeping the fabric looking its best and brightest for the long run.

Taking the extra step in the dye process reduces bleeding, fading and even enhances the color of your project.

looking down into a washing machine after dying throw pillow covers.

Once the items were done with the dying process, I placed the pillow covers in the washer with warm water and mild detergent to clean.

After washing, I hung the pillow covers to dry. Once dry, I pressed them with a warm iron and placed them back over the pillows on my sofa.

close up of dyed throw pillow covers. They were tan/brown now they are a denim blue color.

How to Dye Polyester

To dye polyester and synthetic fabrics you need to use the formula called, Rit DyeMore. It is a dye specially made for synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, acetate, plus blends that contain those fibers.

What I Would Not Dye?

Dying fabric on the stove, in a bucket or in your washing machine isn’t hard when dying small items like a pillow cover, shirt, a pair of sneakers, etc.

If you want to dye something larger like a comforter or duvet, it may take more effort and be a bit messier since there is a lot of fabric to dye.

close up of white dress that was dyed brown where white thread didn't dye.

After having great results with the pillow covers, I decided to dye a white dress I never wear to a cocoa brown. It came out fine, but I wasn’t expecting the thread on the hems and button holes to stay white.

The dress is cotton, but the thread must be a polyester blend that would need the DyeMore formula to change the color. The dress actually looks OK and I have gotten compliments on the dress, so even though the thread is still white, it kind of adds a stylish detail to the dress.

So if you think you want to try to dye something made of decorative fabric or a piece of clothing, be prepared for something like this to happen. Before dying, you can do a test on the fabric if you can find an inconspicuous area on the item to see how the dye will take.

If you are not happy with the way an item came out after the fabric is dry, I did learn that you can re-dye to darken colors and even use Rit dye color remover if you are not quite happy with the results.

Where to Buy Rit Dyes

I bought my dye on Amazon since they had a wide variety of all the colors to choose from. Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target, grocery and crafts stores sell the dye as well. Buying it at one of these stores is very inexpensive, but I could only find a limited amount of colors at these stores. To find a store near you, see the Rit Dye Store Locator.

For More Fabric Dying Inspiration

For more fabric dying inspiration be sure to check out the Rit Dye website where you can learn a whole lot more.

You may not only find yourself surprised about what can be dyed and how to do it, but also inspired to change a decorative fabric item in your home.

More Budget Friendly Home Decorating Ideas

before and after photos of pillow covers after they were dyed with Rit dye. Text says How to Dye Home Decorating Items Successfully. Pillow covers, drapes & more.

14 Comments

Cussot says:

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It’s particularly fun to dye prints, isn’t it? Unpredictable and often a pleasant surprise. I bet you weren’t expecting the brown in the print to be a warm, purply cocoa.

Delanie says:

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Those pillow covers were pretty before, but are 1000 times better dyed blue! I used to dye stuff a lot, but have not in recent years. RIT dye is the best. Thank you for reintroducing an old technic.

Lynn W says:

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What a gorgeous color!! I love how they turned out 💜
I have dyed many things over the years…mainly to re use and save money Cloth napkins, tablecloths, drapery panels and when I had to wear black slacks for a uniform for work, they got dyed when the color started to fade.
Great information on how to dye items!!

Mary Wilson says:

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When I dyed a shower curtain, I ironed it to remove the wrinkles. The heat
of the ironing set the color.

Gina says:

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Beautiful results!

Kim Glasgow says:

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Love the new color of your pillows! I used to dye a whole bunch of stuff, but really haven’t had a need for it in a few years. It’s kind of fun to change something you already own into a new color! Thanks for sharing,

Sue B says:

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Wow, , the color you chose to dye the pillow covers elevates their attractiveness exponentially, in my opinion! Way better than the original color.

Patti H says:

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I love the new color! Those pillows look great.
I dyed a cotton sweater a dark blue. I thought I stabilized the dye and washed it a few times with jeans. No problem. One time a coral bandana got into the wash with the dyed sweater and the bandana turned purplish coral and blotchy. Lesson learned to only wash the sweater with blue colors.
I knit and have successfully dyed fingering weight wool yarn using an old crockpot and/or microwave to keep the dye and yarn hot. My grandkids dyed yarn one summer while visiting and I knit socks for each using the yarn they dyed.

Theresa Stewart says:

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I absolutely LOVE how those pillows turned out! If I saw those in a store I would buy them in a heartbeat. Well done Diane!

Kim says:

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I like how the pillow cases turned out. Thanks for the inspiration.

Karen says:

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Ps we had carpet professionally dyed.Many years ago.

Karen says:

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Turned out great!

Nina says:

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I love the pillows, nice choice! The blue is striking and adds color without overwhelming the space! Love what you’ve done! I like to use Rit dye for small things like pillows that don’t get washed often because the dye (when washed often) will fade in time. Adding salt (a lot) to your wash helps stabilize the dye. About your dress… I’ve done the same and forgot all about the thread… I’ve taken a regular cheap drawing/coloring marker and lightly marked over the threads to blend them in, you do have to experiment in an inconspicuous place. I’ve even gone over the stitches with two different colors to get the right color match.

Connie McGhee says:

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I used Rit denim blue to dye comforter in my sunny Florida guest room. In just a few months the brightness in the room( blinds are never opened) had bleached out everywhere except under throw pillows. Huge disappointment. I won’t be trying this again. I found it a lot of work.

How to Dye Fabric Decor Items