After a very short and unsuccessful online search for wood dyes to buy, I decided I might as well make my own...
Items you will need to make the dyes:
•mason jars with lids
•liquid measuring cup
•teaspoon
•isopropyl alcohol (I used 70%)
•liquid food coloring (from the baking aisle)
•latex gloves
**it's easiest to make one color at a time...
**as long as you don't add water to your solutions, they will keep for repeated uses.
**alcohol is safe to use because it evaporates as it dries, and actually dries faster.
1. Measure out 4 oz alcohol with your liquid measuring cup, then pour into a clean mason jar.
2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid food coloring to the mason jar; some colors may need less or more color, depending on the desired result.
3. Mix and test with a plain piece of wood. Add more color if needed.
4. Remove wood and lay to dry.
*repeat until all your desired colors are made
Here are my test sticks:
The red is lighter because I started out using 8 oz of alcohol and quickly discovered it wasn't the ratio I wanted. So the rest are made with 4 oz of alcohol.
Now time to dye!!
What you'll need to dye your pieces:
•pan/plate/something to lay them on to dry
•paper towels
•bowl
•strainer
•homemade dye
•wood pieces
1. Lay multiple layers of paper towels on your plate or cookie sheet
2. Nest your strainer in the bowl (I used glass and metal because they won't stain from the dyes)
3. Open your dye jar and put some wood pieces in and re-close; shake until wood is desired color.
*you can use larger jars and make more dye solution, but this is why I like using mason jars
4. Pour everything into the strainer; the dye will strain through and catch in the bowl while the wood remains in the strainer.
5. Dump your wood pieces onto your pre-prepped paper towels
6. Pour your dye back into the jar and close for next time!
7. Rinse your bowl and strainer so they're clean and ready for the next color!
Items you will need to make the dyes:
•mason jars with lids
•liquid measuring cup
•teaspoon
•isopropyl alcohol (I used 70%)
•liquid food coloring (from the baking aisle)
•latex gloves
**it's easiest to make one color at a time...
**as long as you don't add water to your solutions, they will keep for repeated uses.
**alcohol is safe to use because it evaporates as it dries, and actually dries faster.
1. Measure out 4 oz alcohol with your liquid measuring cup, then pour into a clean mason jar.
2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid food coloring to the mason jar; some colors may need less or more color, depending on the desired result.
3. Mix and test with a plain piece of wood. Add more color if needed.
4. Remove wood and lay to dry.
*repeat until all your desired colors are made
Here are my test sticks:
The red is lighter because I started out using 8 oz of alcohol and quickly discovered it wasn't the ratio I wanted. So the rest are made with 4 oz of alcohol.
Now time to dye!!
What you'll need to dye your pieces:
•pan/plate/something to lay them on to dry
•paper towels
•bowl
•strainer
•homemade dye
•wood pieces
1. Lay multiple layers of paper towels on your plate or cookie sheet
2. Nest your strainer in the bowl (I used glass and metal because they won't stain from the dyes)
3. Open your dye jar and put some wood pieces in and re-close; shake until wood is desired color.
*you can use larger jars and make more dye solution, but this is why I like using mason jars
4. Pour everything into the strainer; the dye will strain through and catch in the bowl while the wood remains in the strainer.
5. Dump your wood pieces onto your pre-prepped paper towels
6. Pour your dye back into the jar and close for next time!
7. Rinse your bowl and strainer so they're clean and ready for the next color!
