Colour Your Wardrobe: How to Use Rit Fabric Dyes for Your Next DIY Project

Sometimes, you want to add a little colour to your wardrobe. Although buying new clothes is always fun, getting an entirely new wardrobe on a whim isn’t realistic for the average working individual. This is exactly why you need a simple yet creative way to breathe new life into your old clothes for the seasons ahead.

Summer is almost here, and it’s the perfect time to experiment with colour. Rit fabric dyes are a great way to transform old pieces and give them a fresh look. From simply dyeing T-shirts to creating fun tie-dye designs with your friends, Rit dyes are vibrant, versatile and fun to use. Why throw away dull, white clothing when you can completely transform it with a colourful Rit fabric paint of your choice?

Whether you’re new to fabric dyeing or looking to expand your knowledge of the dip-dye process, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down the process of dyeing your clothes into a few simple steps.

Rit is a company that thrives on the grand and spectacular. Its wide range of dyes has been adding colour to your favourite clothes for over a century, and it continues to do so today with new, innovative and improved formulas.

Before you grab whichever colour you like best, you should first understand the difference between fabric dye and fabric paint.

Fabric dye colours your clothes down to the fibres. This means that the colour doesn’t simply sit on the surface of the material but penetrates the fibres that make up the fabric.

On the other hand, Rit fabric paint is slightly more approachable for beginners, as it doesn’t necessarily require elaborate dyeing methods. All you need is a trusty marker or paintbrush if you’re working with liquid paint. However, unlike fabric dye, paint sits on the surface of the fabric. It can still be long-lasting and fun to experiment with, but it adds colour to specific areas rather than changing the colour of the entire garment. Paint is best when you want to add fun sketches or decorative details to your favourite outerwear. If you want to change the colour of your clothes, specialised dye products are recommended for the process.

Whichever method you choose, Rit has something for everyone. From fabric markers and fabric paints to complete, ready-to-use dye kits, you can experiment with different products for separate DIY projects and give your wardrobe the ultimate makeover.

The type of Rit product you’ll need for your next DIY conquest heavily depends on the project you’re working on. If you want to add details to your clothes or doodle on a pair of jeans, Rit paint or free-flow markers will give you more control and allow you to work in smaller areas. However, if you want to dye your piece of clothing an entirely different colour, you’ll probably need something that will get the job done evenly and much faster than fabric paint. This is where Rit dyes shine because they are vibrant, dry spectacularly and make old clothing look brand new.

So remember, paints are for small details, subtle changes on your streetwear clothing⁠ and denim doodles, while dyes are for full, permanent colour changes.

When working with Rit dyes, there are generally two ways you can dye your clothes: the bucket method or the stovetop method.

The bucket, also known as the sink, method is best suited for beginners and dyeing smaller items. To dye your clothes in a bucket, you first need to fill it with hot water at about 60°C. Add the packet of dye to the hot water and stir well. Make sure you’re wearing rubber gloves throughout the entire process because the dye can stain your hands. If you’re dyeing natural fibres, add about 240 ml of salt to the mix. For synthetic materials, add 240 ml of vinegar. Regardless of the fibres, finish the mixture with 5 ml of dish soap. After everything is mixed, add the clothes and keep them soaked in the mixture for as long as the packaging of the dye says. The longer you leave them, the more vibrant the colour will most likely be.

For the stovetop method, follow through with all the same steps, just in a large pot on the stove. Add the amount of water and dye as stated on the package and wait for the water to reach just before boiling, at about 90°C. Add your clothing and wait for the dye to take effect.

If you don’t want to risk mixing your clothes directly into the dye, soak a paper towel or a piece of clothing you don’t need that is a similar colour to your project, and wait to see how it turns out before adding your clothes.