How to Hand Dye a Tablecloth – No Sewing!
Lately I have been drawn more and more to Scandinavian style decor. I still enjoy Farmhouse Style, but I find the light colors and simplicity of Scandinavian style to be complimentary. I’m adding more natural wood elements to my decor, as well as rustic & natural linens. Today I am sharing one of the easiest projects on this blog – a DIY hand dyed tablecloth with NO sewing involved. Yay!
Read on to see how simple it is to dye your own tablecloth…
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Supplies
To dye your own rustic tablecloth, you’ll need to gather the following supplies:
- 2 yards of white cotton or LINEN FABRIC. I upcycled an old linen duvet we owned (which had teared).
- Rit liquid dye in your choice of color. I purchased 8 OZ. OF THE PEARL GRAY color. (Optional – salt)
- BIN to dye fabric in, gloves to protect hands, paint stick to stir dye mix
- fabric scissors, fabric pen, measuring tape
DIY Hand Dyed Tablecloth
To make your tablecloth in the same color shade as mine, follow these instructions below. If you’d like to make your tablecloth in a different color, feel free to use these steps as a guide.
Cut fabric
To start the process, you’ll want to prepare your cotton or linen fabric. Pre-wash and dry the fabric.
Using the fabric pen, mark where you want to cut your fabric for the tablecloth. I measured approximately 68″ length by 54″ width.
Using fabric scissors, cut out your tablecloth in the size you choose to fit your table. I wasn’t precise with my cutting, since I wanted a relaxed rustic look.
Dye fabric
Next you’ll dye the fabric. I followed the directions on the Rit package, customizing a bit as follows:
First, thoroughly wet the fabric.
Next, fill the container you will use for dyeing with HOT water. (I filled about 2/3 of a 4-gallon/16-quart plastic bin)
Add approximately 1/4 cup of Rit fabric dye in the Pearl Gray color to your hot water and stir. You can add salt here as well, which is supposed to help the dye to adhere.
Add the fabric to your container, ensuring enough room for it to move freely when stirred.
Stir the fabric gently every so often, keeping it in the container for about 30 minutes total. Try to make sure it doesn’t float on top, but stay under the mixture. Make sure all the fabric is exposed to the dye.
Remove the fabric from the container at the end of 30 minutes or so. (I chose to remove mine after 23 minutes when I was happy with the color). Next rinse the fabric with cool water.
Let the fabric dry a bit. I hung mine outside in the sun for a little while to dry quickly.
Wash and Iron fabric
Once you’ve finished dyeing the tablecloth, you’ll need to run it through the washing machine on a delicate wash cycle with an old towel (using a gentle cleanser).
Dry the tablecloth with the towel in the dryer (or air dry).
Here you can choose to iron the tablecloth or leave it a bit wrinkled. I like the rustic look of the unhemmed and slightly wrinkled fabric.
There you have it – a no sew DIY hand dyed tablecloth! You can claim yourself as the unique designer of this rustic table covering. It will look fabulous with a nature-inspired table setting or perhaps a Scandinavian themed table such as this…
Scandinavian Style Table Setting
You may recognize my FAUX OLIVE TOPIARIES on this table setting from my previous post.
I love how the natural wood elements, rustic pots, and soft-colored linens combine with the dyed tablecloth. I don’t mind the unhemmed look of the tablecloth with a few loose threads. It gives the table a casual and unfussy look.
Do you also recognize these CROCHET WOOD NAPKIN RINGS? They pair very well with the dyed tablecloth.
I added a set of adorable natural wood bird houses from the Dollar Store, as well as NATURAL WOOD CANDLESTICKS and a wood bead garland I had made.
Shop the look for this table setting! Click on any photo below to find items for your own Scandinavian table setting..
(Psst…Are you hooked on dyeing now? Check out my SHIBORI TIE DYE PILLOWS or HAND-DYED MUSLIN RIBBONS to use for gift wrapping.)
Want to remember this craft? Post this hand dyed tablecloth idea to your favorite Pinterest board!
