The Easiest Way How To Ombré Dye Napkins

I’m a sucker for anything ombré, and that includes napkins. Here’s the easiest way how to ombré dye napkins for a spring tablesetting.

If you’ve been following my blog for even a hot minute, then you know I love to set a table. I’ll even set a table for no reason, just so I can create and put my collection of dishes on rotation. And too, when I have the table nicely set, then I’m almost guaranteed that it doesn’t become a dumping ground for mail, reusable shopping bags, school work and random papers, or the occasional kicked off sock that lands on the table rather than the floor.

Designing a table is fun for me, and what I enjoy even more, is making custom napkins. I love to buy fabric and cut and hem into napkins, and I love to even go a step further and dye them, creating patterns.

A while back, I shared how to Shibori. It’s a Japanese tie-dye process using organic indigo dye. Before I knew it, I was Shibori-ing just about everything that came into sight, and it was almost to the point where Sean was starting to hide his white socks. And now that some time has passed, he may just want to start hiding those socks again because I’m all about the ombré!

So, when I was setting up a spring table a few days ago, it was a no-brainer that I needed to make some DIY ombré dyed napkins. A variation of color from dark to light, what’s not to like. After hemming and hawing over a spring color, I decided on a yellow-y orange. One of my favorite colors.

The Easiest Way How To Ombré Dye Napkins

Once I gathered up all of the supplies I needed, it was just a matter of figuring out the timing and how long the napkin should stay in the dye. Here’s the thing though – if you’d like a more brilliant color, then the fabric needs to stay in the dye longer. You’ll need to keep monitoring the process until you feel you’ve achieved the vibrancy you’re after. Here, I was going for a more muted effect, and this is the technique I’m showing you.

I’ve sourced all of the supplies for you. Here’s what you’ll need:

• set of white cotton napkins
• rit dye
• latex gloves
• 5 gallon bucket
• spare rectangular bucket

How to ombré dye is actually pretty easy. The hands on time is rather quick, and the results are so pretty. Truly. And the end result is completely your own custom design.

Here’s How

The first thing you need to do, for best results, is to machine wash and dry the napkins.

Set up working station. Place heavy duty plastic or paper down on table or floor. Place a rag towel over top to catch water and drips. Put rectangular bucket over towel to receive the napkins once they’re removed from the dye.

Add 1 cup of salt to the 5 gallon bucket. Pour in the hottest water you can get from your tap, and fill the bucket three quarters of the way. Add the bottle of dye to the water, and using a stainless steel spoon, stir dye until completely mixed with the water.

Working in batches of two, wet napkins. Submerge in the dye half way up the napkin, then pull out, leaving one quarter to one third of the napkin still submerged. Leave napkin in dye, draping extra fabric over the edge of the 5 gallon bucket.

Carefully remove the napkin from the dye, and place it in the same position, but in the rectangular bucket. This is to keep everything neater and free from drips on the way to the sink.

Holding the napkin on each of the dyed corners, hold under warm water and let the water run down the napkin to tint the white portion of the napkin, moving back and forth under the faucet.

Fold napkin into a ball, and squeeze under the water to help the dye run even through the napkin. Rinse until water runs clear.

Repeat entire process until all napkins have been dyed with ombré pattern.

Wash in the machine with an old towel, cold wash, cold rinse. Place in dryer and dry under cotton setting.

Iron as needed.

And that is how to ombré dye napkins for a spring table. I know I’ll use these for more than just this tablesetting. The ombré effect is subtle and gorgeous, and although this spring craft wasn’t a quick one, it was an easy one just the same and will make a gorgeous statement on any tablesetting.