Colorify Your Home With Custom-Dyed Switchplates!

Have you ever painted the walls in your home a custom color and then couldn’t find wall switchplates to coordinate?  Well, our friend, Barbara Warholic, found an easy solution to this dilemma. She discovered that switchplates are made in unbreakable nylon and they can be dyed with Rit!  This is so easy and so much fun … the color possibilities are endless. Just think of the color burst it can add to the kids room AND it works for outlet plates as well.

Here’s how:

SUPPLIES:

• Rit Liquid Dye --  Your choice.  These colors were mixed using recipes from the Rit Color Formula Guide:  Evening Blue, Black, Purple, Wine, Tan, Apple Green, Tangerine, Sunshine Orange, Violet, Lemon Yellow, Petal Pink, Taupe, Kelly Green
• White Switch Wallplates, made of unbreakable nylon
• Measuring Cup & Measuring Spoons
• Small, Shallow 2-Cup Dyeing Container
• Spoon for stirring dye
• Rubber Gloves
• Plastic Table Cover

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dyeing the Switch Wallplates

Note:  Make sure that the switch wallplates are made of nylon.  Wallplates are available in other materials, but only nylon can be dyed.  

1. Choose your custom colors from the ColoRit Color Formula Guide.   Here are the color recipes Barbara used

2. Cover your work surface with a plastic table cover.

3. Wash the switch wallplates in warm soapy water.

4. Shake all dye bottles just before measuring dye amounts needed.

5. Pour 1 cup very hot water (at least 140°F) into small shallow container.  If water is not hot enough, heat some in the microwave or in a tea kettle.  Wearing rubber gloves, measure dye needed, following the recipe in the Color Formula guide.  Add to the water; stir well.  (See the recipes Barbara used below.)

6. Immerse the switch wallplate and screws into the dye mixture. (Barb’s screws took the dye.)  Allow the switch plate and screws to soak in the dye solution for 1-10 minutes.  Check the switch plate often in natural light to see how the color is progressing.  The switch plate will be slightly darker when it dries completely. 

These are the Rit Custom Color Recipes Barbara used:

 #195 Blue                                                                       

• 2 tsp. Evening Blue                                  
• ½ tsp. Black                                             
• 1 Cup hot water    

#260 Yellow Green

• 2 tsp. Kelly Green
• 1 tsp Lemon Yellow
• 1 Cup hot water

#523 Red-Violet

• 1 tsp. Purple
• ½ tsp. Wine
• 1 Cup hot water

#315 Neutral Tan

• 1 tsp. Tan
• ¼ tsp. Apple green
• 1 Cup hot water

#568 Cedar

• 1 tsp. Apple Green
• ⅛ tsp Black
• 1 Cup hot water

#98 Tangerine Tango

• 1 tsp. Tangerine
• 1 tsp. Sunshine Orange
• 1 Cup hot water

Violet

• 1 Tbs. Violet
• 1 Cup hot water

#61 Atomic Yellow 

• 1 Tbs. Lemon Yellow
• ¼ tsp. Petal Pink
• 1 Cup hot water

 #595 Starfish

• 1 tsp. Taupe
• ⅛ tsp. Evening Blue      
• 1 Cup hot water