Ingenious DIY ideas
Don’t neglect your rental’s curtains. They not only preserve privacy, but they also have real decorative power. So use these textiles to dress up your windows and create a fresh summer look for your living space, throw yourself whole-heartedly into “Ombre-dyeing”. What is it? The ombre-dye technique consists in dyeing fabric in a colour gradation. Unlike tie dye, the fabric is not knotted during the dyeing process. Generally, the darkest tone is at the bottom of the curtain, but it is entirely possible to reverse the tints, especially if you’d like to visually lower a high ceiling. This bicoloured alliance, easy and quick to carry out, brings an element of fantasy to both bohemian and modern interiors. So how can you DIY this ombre-dye technique and what materials do you need? Follow these simple steps to personalize your décor on a budget…
Material:
- A pair of light coloured curtains (white or beige)
- A large basin-type container or bucket
- A small container to prepare the dye
- A pack of dye
- Coarse salt, about 500g
- Rubber apron and gloves
8 Steps for ombre-dyeing:
The idea is to immerse the curtain in a tinted solution and then gradually take it out while adding pigment to the basin to create a dark gradation at the bottom of the curtain. Note that dye will only take on cotton, linen, silk and viscose, so make sure you check the material of your textile.
1. The first step is to machine wash the curtain with detergent.
2. Put on a rubber apron and gloves to prevent staining. Take advantage of this moment to also protect the floor underneath the dipping basin.
3. Heat water to about 40 °C and fill the basin halfway.
4. In a small container, mix the pigmented powder and coarse salt according to the instructions on the dye package.
5. Pour a portion of the dye obtained into the basin, the water should be coloured but with a clear tint. Mix with the help of a wooden spoon or stick.
5. Soak the bottom of the still wet curtain in the basin and dip it to the desired colour height. Wait for about ten minutes.
6. Lift the curtain a little and wring the previously submerged upper part. To obtain a degraded effect, pour the concentrated dye from the small container into the basin again. The water will darken. Soak the bottom of the curtain at a lower height than the previous one and leave for several minutes. Start the process over again to obtain different colour intensities.
7. Wring the fabric and lay it in the shade to dry. At this point, the curtain will appear darker than when it is completely dry.
8. To finish, run the curtain through the wash making sure to select a cold cycle and don’t forget the anti-colour run wipe!
That’s it you’ve done it! You now have a pair of curtains that are cheerful and unique. Of course, you’re not limited to curtains, you can reproduce the process on a throw, tablecloth, cushion covers, pillowcases, duvet covers...
Inspiration… 
1.Charlotte Love / 2.Sandra Dages / 3.Pic2Viral / 4.Casamance / 5.Ikea / 6.Free people