Colorful Bird Napkin Rings

Step 1:

1. Place 4 cups water in large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off burner. Shake all dye bottles well before measuring dye. Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix dye with hot water in gallon sized bags, following these recipes from the Rit Color Formula Guide. Stir dye solutions gently with a long spoon.

Peach #115 (Yellow Orange Palette)

1/4 Tsp Scarlet
1/4 Tsp Taupe
1 Cup Water


Blue Curacao #565 (Blue-Green Palette)

1 Tbs Aquamarine
1/8 Tsp Kelly Green
1 Cup Water


Peach #463 (Yellow Orange Palette)

1/4 Tsp Sunshine Orange
1 Cup Water


Orange #96 (Orange Palette)

1 Tbs Sunshine Orange
1 Tsp Violet
1 Cup Water
2. Separate the bird shapes, napkin rings and teardrops (wings) into four piles (for four napkin rings)

3. Place the piles of pieces into the dye baths. Seal top of bag and let soak for 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove pieces of wood with long tongs and place on layered paper towels to dry. Turn pieces over and let excess dye soak into paper towels.

5. When dry, ink the large background stamp with pigment ink and stamp surface of each bird shape (one side only). If desired, ink edges of wings with pigment ink. Ink edges of beaks with pigment ink. Let dry. Optional: Brush clear polyurethane on stamped wood and napkin rings as a sealant.

6. Assemble napkin rings by gluing alternating teardrop-shaped colored wings to birds. Turn wrong side up and glue napkin ring to backside of each bird. Let set until glue dries.

7. Cut tiny pieces of scrap sheer ribbon, two pieces measuring 2 ½” each for each napkin ring. Use pigment ink to stamp sentiment, such as “Wonderful,” on one ribbon in each pair. Glue ribbon pieces to wing as shown.

8. Glue small scraps of burlap or cheesecloth over ribbons on each bird. Glue decorative buttons or round embellishment over burlap or cheesecloth.

9. Wrap rhinestone chain around each button and cut to size with wire cutters. Use glue to attach chain to wing. Glue black pebble bead to each bird for eyes.