DIY DIP DYE OMBRE MINI SKIRT

18th December 2011

For this project I picked up a very naff midi skirt from my local thrift store and decided to rework it into an ombre mini skirt using a dip dye technique. It was so simple and is such a fun update to a piece of clothing I would never have worn otherwise.

 
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Dip dye is a very easy process, you can adjust the color saturation by adding water or dye, and you just keep dipping until you like the results! What you’re looking to achieve is a very subtle ombre colour change, the likes of which I have been seeing in summer collections everywhere. It’s good to have a few scrap pieces of fabric around for color tests, and a nice outdoor spot or some tarp to work on.

You need:
- A skirt
- Purple dye
- Salt
- Bucket

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How to:
1. The first thing I did was cut the midi skirt into a mini and hemmed it. You can obviously skip this step if your skirt or other item of clothing doesn’t need altering.

2. Dampen your fabric – you want it to be damp but not dripping. This helps it take on the dye evenly.

3. Open your packet of dye and separate it evenly into a few different containers.

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4. To start, only put one of the measures of dye into the water, mixing according to the instructions on the packet. This will be the least concentrated to do the first immersion. Most dyes recommend using warm water and salt to set the dye.5. Put your skirt on a clip hanger so it hangs evenly and dip it into the dye. The first time you dip it will be the deepest, and you should aim to stop about 10cm from the top of the skirt.

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6. Take the skirt out and add another container of dye to the bucket and mix up. Dip the skirt again, this time only about 2 thirds of the depth of the first time.

7. Add the final container of dye. Dip only the bottom few inches of the skirt into the dye at its most concentrated. You can even let it sit in the dye for a little while to take on more colour.

8. Once you think the skirt is dark enough, wash it out in a sink, making sure that no dye gets onto the top of the skirt.

9. Leave the skirt to dry. The colour will lighten quite a bit once dry so you can keep the dye in the bucket so that if it dries and you find that find that it isn’t dark enough you can dip once again. Personally I liked a really subtle colour change so I didn’t need to dye it too much.

And you’re done! You can do this dip dye process to anything you want – dresses, jeans, tops, the list is endless! I had to hold back from dip dying everything in my wardrobe but look forward to seeing a few more items done like this over at my blog.

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Wearing: Self designed silk singlet, DIY Dip Dyed Mini Skirt, locally designed metal belt, Zara suede boots.