How-Tos

Need a dazzling pair of shoes for New Year’s Eve?  Well, dig deep in your closet and maybe you can find a pair of white satin shoes from a wedding long ago.  Or, perhaps you snagged a pair of shoes from a thrift store find. Shoes are so easy to dye and make a fashion statement when transformed with a trendy color.  To achieve a professional look, be sure to line the inside of each shoe with painter’s tape, and apply tape anywhere else you don’t want the dye to be.  Then mix a small amount of dye (we used Evening Blue) with 1cup of very hot water and brush on the dye using a foam brush.  Rayon cord was dyed to match the shoes; then coiled up to make a nautical detail complete with a star-shaped stud. And, pyramid studs were hot glued to the straps.  Adding these extra embellishments gives the shoes their bling!  Click here for the full tutorial. 

Looking for a quick, baby gift with a custom-made touch?  Cindi Bisson and Ana Araujo demonstrate how to dip-dye onesies for a trendy ombreꞌ effect.  Ombreꞌ is a French word meaning “to shade.”  When dip-dyeing, the result is gradual shading from light to dark.

Using Petal Pink for girls and Lemon Yellow for boys, they dip-dyed the onesies by hanging them from a dowel rod and dipping them in a dyebath for different amounts of time.  The darker section at the bottom was in the dye for about 10 minutes, then the middle section about 5 minutes and the top required just a quick dip.  It’s so easy to create a lovely “one-of-a-kind” effect!  After dyeing, the onesies can be embellished with iron-on appliques, buttons and more! Click here to see this online video from When Creativity Knocks. 

Both Ana Araujo and Cindi Bisson appear regularly on When Creativity Knocks online TV show.  Stop by to see more of their creative projects and ideas. 

Use #54 is “Dyeing Buttons.” Dyed buttons can be used to create holiday ornaments, make colorful jewelry, accent scrapbook pages or dress-up a tired shirt.  This use recently came alive in a video prepared by “tbi” for airing on cable TV networks.  In this video you’ll see how to dye buttons in just minutes.  Be sure to start out with white buttons made out of nylon.  If you raid your grandmother’s button jar, you may not know.  So just give it a try.  The plastic buttons will remain white, but that’s part of the fun!  For the complete tutorial on making this Dyed Button Cuff Bracelet.  Click here.  To see how easy it is to dye buttons for making holiday ornaments, click here.

Sometimes making the bag for gift-giving can be just as much fun as making the gift.  These holiday bags were made by dyeing fat quarters, which is the name quilters’ use for an 18” x 22” piece of fabric.  Niki Meiners dyed one piece in Kelly Green for the bags and the other in Fuchsia for the rosettes.  One fat quarter can be cut to make four small bags, two medium bags or one large bag. To create the mottled effect with light and dark areas, Niki scrunched the fabric into small containers using a small amount of water and dye.  After dyeing and washing, the fabric is cut up and sewn into gift bags.  The rosettes are made by cutting long strips and twisting them into rosettes.  Dyed fabric bags become part of the gift and can be personalized for any occasion!   Click here for the full tutorial.

Niki is a freelance artist and writer known for her exquisite creations that feature a diverse mix of fun styles and a highly creative approach to even the smallest detail. You can see more of Niki's elegant work on 365 Days of Crafts where she's a contributing crafter.