Reusing leftover wood hearts from Valentine’s Day to create our own luck for St. Patricks Day! Once we realized a four-leaf clover is basically just made of four hearts, there was no stopping us.
Supplies:
- Rit DyeAll-Purpose Liquid Dye in Dark Green
- Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative
- 1”wooden hearts
- Small clamps or binder clips
- Container or Stainless Steel Sink for Dyeing
- Rubber gloves
- Paper towels
- Dish Soap
- Salt
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions:
- Pre-wash the items you plan to dye. Keep damp for even coverage—and dry for more of a tie-dye effect.
- Pinch up section of fabric and fold inward into fourths.
- Place wood hearts on either side of folded section with the point facing inward, towards the corner of the fold. Similar to the Itajime (shibori) technique.
- Secure with binder clips or clamps.
- Fill a large plastic container or sink with 3 gallons of hot water.Water temperature should ideally be 140°. Add 1 teaspoon of dish detergent to help promote level dyeing.
- Add bound garment to the dye bath. Stir constantly for 15-30 minutes and make sure all areas of the fabric get submerged evenly. Use tongs to help separate any folds in the fabric
- While still bound, we recommend using Rit ColorStayDye Fixative immediately after dyeing and before washing to enhance color, increase color retention and prevent dye from bleeding into white areas.
- Rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. Wash in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse and dry
