DIY: Easy Brush Dyed Pillow

Ombre, Ombre, Ombre. It’s all over the place, from hair to clothes and it’s even moving into the living room with home decor items. My Front Porch needed a little splash of color, so I thought I’d try my hand at a DIY: Easy Brush Dyed Pillow.

I started out this project with little practical knowledge when it comes to working with dye. I’ve done a few t-shirts for the boys when they we’re in grade school. So I was very grateful that there were some instructional videos available to view that helped along the way.

Rit Dye has a product that has been typically available online but is now sold exclusively in store at Walmart for $2.87 per bottle.

Let’s get started…

Easy Brush Dyed Pillow Supplies

• Rit Liquid Dye (any color you like)
• Pillow cover – we found this one at Walmart, it came stuffed, so I just opened the seam with small scissors, removed the stuffing, then replaced it after the pillow cover was dry
• Hot Water (1 cup)
• Plastic drop cloth
• Paint brushes (foam or bristle)
• Protective vinyl gloves
• Plastic Wrap

Measure out the amount of dye needed. I started with 1 tablespoon per cup of hot water for the lightest shade. Then added 4 tablespoons more for the medium shade and added an additional 4 tablespoons for the darkest shade.

Make sure the water is hot. The hotter the better, if you can I would recommend you use boiling water.

Brush on the different shades in whatever pattern you like.

I tried to do mine in wide stripes darker to lighter.

Once you have painted on the Rit Dye to the pillow cover fold it together in a size that will fit into your microwave and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place into your microwave and heat on high for 2 minutes. This helps to set the dye into the cloth. Let it set for a few minutes until it has cooled to the touch.

Rinse out under cold water in your sink until the water runs clear. Wring it out and throw it in a dryer on low heat to dry.

I’ll admit, I had my concerns with how this was going to turn out before I placed it in the dryer. And no it didn’t turn out in a true Ombre fashion that I was going for but I really like how it ended up. I added a few silk flowers to add a little more punch and now I’m looking for my next project.