Ombre Dip Dye Drop Cloth Cushion Covers

Here is a simple tutorial on how to make a pair of dip dyed ombre cushion covers using canvas drop cloths and light blue fabric dye. I bought some painter’s drop clothes that are 4 feet wide by 15 feet long to use for this project. They are perfect for pillow covers because the sides are already hemmed, and that’s one less step I have to do. These drop cloths are fairly inexpensive for fabric; it works out to about $3 a metre. The canvas is a little rough, but I think it adds nice texture for a throw pillow.

1. Pre-wash Drop Cloth

It’s a good idea to wash and dry the drop cloth before you use it. This softens the fabric and pre-shrinks it. I bought mine from home depot, but these ones from amazon are similar.      *This post contains affiliate links*

 

2. Cut Fabric

Next cut a strip for the cushion cover from one finished end to the other. I made these covers for an 18″ pillow, so I cut the fabric 22″ wide to allow a little extra for the seams.

3. Prepare the Dye Solution

The next step is to dye the fabric.  I used Dylon dye in the shade China Blue. The instructions on the back of the package say to wash the fabric and then leave it damp before dyeing.

Then I dissolved the dye according to the package.  First I mixed it with warm water and added 250 grams of salt. I mixed the dye in a plastic container in my kitchen sink so I made sure to cover the counters with towels first. I did not want to risk staining anything.

4. Dip Dye

Next I put about half of the fabric in the dye. I let it soak for about 5 minutes for the lightest shade of blue.

Then every 10 minutes or so I pulled the fabric out little bits to make increasingly darker shades of blue. I did this for a little more than an hour.

Then I rinsed out the fabric with water, let it dry, then ironed out all the wrinkles.

5. Sew the Cushion Covers

To make the pillow covers, I used my tutorial for making super easy DIY cushion covers.

I like how these turned out, though in hindsight I maybe should have used a more vibrant color to get a better ombre effect.

This is a very light blue color and the ombre is very soft and subtle.

I have plans to use this dye for another project, so this was my test run to determine if I actually liked the color. I do, so stay tuned for another dyed fabric project!