Techniques

How to: Dip Dye Fabric with Chalk Paint®

Dip dyeing with Chalk Paint® is a great way to completely change the colour of fabric, whether small or large.

Although Annie Sloan originally developed Chalk Paint® for furniture, it can also make an effective fabric dye, too. This is a lovely technique to try if you want to update antique linens and reclaim vintage fabrics. The colours you will create using Chalk Paint® will be a muted version of the paint colour, so opt for one of the stronger paint colours. Aubusson Blue will make a delicate washed-out blue. Scandinavian Pink a wonderful dusky pink colour.

The intensity of the colour will also depend on the ratio of the paint to water and the type of fabric (materials coated with or containing polyester won’t take the dye as well as cotton or linen). If you have fabric spare, experiment with offcuts first.

Step by step guide for dip-dyeing fabric with Chalk Paint®

  1. Create your dye by adding 1 tablespoon of Chalk Paint® to roughly 1 litre of tepid water in a bucket or large bowl. Stir thoroughly to ensure the paint is completely dispersed.
  2. Dip your fabric into the dye and agitate the fabric until the whole piece is evenly dyed.
  3. Do not leave the fabric to soak. Remove from the water and leave to drip-dry outdoors or next to a heater.
  4. Once completely dry, iron or tumble dry the fabric to seal the colour. Do not use salt, this tends to increase colour bleed.
  5. You can then wash your material on a 30ºC wash with no colour loss. NB. if you use a stronger quantity of paint in your dye, there might be more colour loss when washed.

Once you’ve learned this technique for dip-dyeing fabric with Chalk Paint®, you can experiment using different paint colours and also materials. You might find this method will work well on leather and silk velvet too!

Now you’ve followed the tutorial, make sure you support local by buying Chalk Paint® from your nearest Annie Sloan Stockist. When you’re done, take a picture of your project and share it with the Annie Sloan community using #AnnieSloan.

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