5 Easy And Creative Steps On How To Dye A Wool Blanket

Have you ever just fallen in love with a blanket, but it’s not in the color that you want? Why don’t you try out how to dye a wool blanket to solve this dilemma! You will need a pot, vinegar, water, and a really good dye to start.

Learning how to do this can be useful, especially if you have some old or spare wool blankets lying around. Wouldn’t it be cool to tell your visitors that you dye your blankets yourself? Spice up your wool blankets as we present you a step-by-step tutorial on how to dye them, which dyes you should use, and safety tips while doing it!

how to dye a wool blanket

 

What Are The Dyes You Can Use

 

Acid dye

This dye is one of the most popular ones used in animal-based fibers like wool. You might get nervous about this dye as it has the term “acid” on it. Don’t worry because the word “acid” is because it’s slightly acidic that helps the dye stick to the fabric more.

 

Natural dye

Natural dye is usually made from roots, leaves, flowers, and other natural sources. Although this dye doesn’t offer as many colors as synthetic ones, natural dyes are renewable and can help lessen the environmental pollution.

 

All-Purpose dye

If the two aren’t available to stores near you, you can opt for all-purpose dyes. They usually contain acid dye and leveling acid type. We suggest that you put this one as your last option because even though it does the work for any kind of fabric, it would not work that well for some of them.

 

Beginner’s Guide On Dyeing A Wool Blanket

 

Step #1. Choose an appropriate dye pot

Some methods of dyeing wool blankets may require a special pot for coloring them. You can’t just use the same pot you use for cooking when dyeing because fabric dyes are not safe for consumption, even if it’s plant-based.

You should also consider which size you’re getting. You don’t want something bigger as the color won’t stick to your blanket. You also don’t want to get a smaller one as it may result in uneven colors.

 

Step #2. Combine a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water

If you want your dyes to lock onto your wool blanket, you should first set your blanket. Do this by filling a bucket with fresh, clean water and vinegar. You can also add one-fourth cup of salt to set the blanket even better.

Give your solution a mix with a stick to make sure everything is distributed nice and perfect. Soak your blanket into the vinegar-water solution for half an hour. It would be better if you let it sit up longer if you have the time.

 

Step #3. Dip the blanket in a pot of hot water

Get your dyeing pots ready because this is where the fun starts. After soaking up your blanket with vinegar and water, quickly put the wool blanket into the pot with hot water and fabric dye.

The hotter the water is, the better! While your blanket is in the dye pot, you should move it from time to time using a stick or a skewer. Doing this will ensure that you won’t miss a spot while dyeing your blanket.

 

Step #4. Place it in a microwave

Once your wool blanket has absorbed all of your chosen colors, it’s time for it to go into the microwave. Carefully put the blanket in a microwave-safe container and place it in the oven for 5 minutes. The heat will ensure that the colors will stick to your blanket.

After 5 minutes, leave your blanket to cool down before jumping into the next step. Practice caution while handling the blanket since it’s extremely hot.

 

Step #5. Rinse it in cold water   

After cooling down the blanket, rinse it with some cold water to remove that vinegar scent that may linger. Doing this will make sure that your blanket will not bleed the next time you wash it. You could use a gentle detergent while rinsing the blanket.

However, if the color runs while you wash your blanket, then you might have done something wrong with the steps above. Kindly do it all over again in this case!

 

How To Keep Safe While Dyeing Fabrics

You might think dyeing is just a fun and safe hobby. You’re right in the context that it is fun, but it’s not always safe. Make safety precautions a habit as you make your way into dyeing wool blankets.

First of all, you should check your dye label for safety instructions. Different manufacturers use different formulas that can be hazardous to your health if not handled properly. Some dyes may require a specific amount of temperature for storage or may not work well when mixed with other substances.

There’s danger in using fabric dyes with bare hands. Protect your skin by wearing gloves as you handle these dyes since they often contain a mixture of chemicals that can irritate, especially if you have sensitive skin.

 

Conclusion

There are a lot of methods that you can use on how to dye a wool blanket. We just provided an easy one that you can use while starting on this type of crafting. However, as fun as this activity may sound, it’s still important to practice safety measures while dyeing your quilt.