Make It: Tie Dye Pillows

Yet another DIY project to share with you guys! Pillows are a great way to add color and pattern to a room on a low budget. Mix and match different colors and textures for a room with tons of interest, and if you're like me, you can change them up often and swap out for a new look without breaking the bank.

My inspiration for these pillows came from Rebecca Atwood's gorgeous pillow collection. I wanted something blue with a natural look, similar to tie dye. I've done my share of tie-dying back in the day, so I decided to make my own budget-friendly version.

The supplies:
Pillow covers - $4 each, Hobby Lobby
Dye - on hand (periwinkle)
Bleach pen - $2, Target
Rubber bands
Total Cost
$10

Step 1:
Follow the direction on the back of the dye box. I dissolved mine in a gallon ice cream bucket of water since I only had one box of dye and I wanted the color to be really concentrated.

Step 2:
I started with the dip dye pillow. After soaking the pillow cover in water, I slowly dropped one end of the damp pillow cover into the bucket of dye. I let it sit for a few minutes, and then dipped the pillow cover even farther into the bucket of dye for a total of maybe 5 minutes. (Letting the pillow cover soak for a few minutes and then dipping it farther into the dye creates the ombre effect.)

Step 3:
For the second pillow I wrapped 3 evenly spaced rubber bands around the pillowcase creating a "cylinder". Then I submerged the entire pillow case into to the bucket of dye. Since it was the second round of dying, I found I had to leave this pillow case in the dye a little longer than the first pillow to get the same color. After about 8 minutes I took the pillow cover out of the dye.

Step 4:
Rinse out the pillows until the water run completely clean.

Step 5:
After the second pillowcase dried, I  could see the results a little better. The rubber band lines weren't as evident as I hoped for, so I ended up taking a bleach pen and "drawing" in the lines. Rinse it clean from the bleach.

That's it! Overall it was a pretty easy project. Of the two, the dip dye ombre pillow is probably my favorite. If you're going to try the rubber band technique make sure they are wrapped very tightly around the fabric. I don't think mine were tight enough so dye was still able to flow into those areas.

Which one is your favorite? Send me a link if you try it yourself! Get creative and see what other techniques you come up with!