Watercolor Dyed Skirt

Marissa Lynch of New Dress a Day collaborated with Rit Dye to create a hand-painted watercolor skirt. You could use the same technique to create hand-painted fabrics for napkins, placemats or tablecloths.

Supplies You’ll Need:

• 100 percent cotton fabric or garment
• Rit liquid dye (several colors)
• Plastic cups
• Latex gloves
• Sponge paintbrushes
• Plastic table cover

Select Your Colors

Use any colors of Rit Dye you want or create custom colors by mixing two different dyes.

The colors used for the project shown: Petal Pink, Sunshine Orange, Golden Yellow, Kelly Green and Violet

Step by Step Directions

• Wash your 100 percent cotton material using a good laundry detergent to remove any sizing or fabric finishes that might interfere with dye absorption.
• If you are using a pre-owned garment, be sure it is stain free before dyeing.
• Cover your workspace with a plastic tablecloth to protect finishes and prevent stains
• Completely wet the cotton fabric or garment with cool water and gently squeeze out excess water.
• To create dyes, add one tablespoon of Rit liquid dye to one cup of water.
• To create the look of a watercolor painting, create circles, lines and freehand abstract designs. Because the fabric is wet, the dye will blend and spread naturally within the cotton fibers.
• Use one color at a time and change to a clean brush or wash the brush between colors to keep clean designs.
• If you cannot spread the garment completely flat, place a plastic barrier between layers of fabric. This will allow you to work on one side at a time. Allow the dye and fabric to air dry before moving to the next layer.

• Once the dyeing is complete, allow to air dry and then handwash using a gentle detergent.

Visit The Rit Studio for more information on creating a watercolor skirt and more projects using Rit Dye.

Disclosure: All projects, techniques and photos included here are either the sole property of Rit Dye or are paid for content where Rit owns the rights to distribute it to promote Rit’s products.  We hereby grant D106 the rights to use this content.