Purple Chair

 

Purple Dye-Stained Chair

Need to add a splash of color to a room? A purple chair may be just what you need! And, you can be sure no one else will have one quite like it. Rit Dye can be used to stain unfinished wood and gives colorful results, allowing the natural wood grain to show through. This chair is made of pine, which is a soft wood that absorbs the dye beautifully. Colorful chairs will instantly brighten a breakfast nook or family room. Try creating your own custom color using our ColoRit formula guide. It’s so easy and fun to add colorful accents to your decorating!

Supplies Needed

  • Rit Dye Liquid, Purple
  • Unfinished wood chair
  • Measuring cup & spoon
  • Container for dye
  • Fine sandpaper (#220) & steel wool
  • Tack cloth
  • Clear polyurethane
  • Foam and bristle brushes
  • Old cloth
  • Paper towels
  • Rubber gloves
  • Plastic drop cloth

Instructions

  1. Cover work surface with a plastic drop cloth.
  2. Sand chair lightly. Remove dust with tack cloth. Note: If working with finished wood, strip paint, varnish or wax from the item. Scrape and sand surface until smooth; wipe with tack cloth.
  3. Dye Preparation: Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix ½ cup Purple liquid dye with 2 cups very hot water. Stir well.
    Note: Test dye color on a scrap piece of similar wood or underside of chair. If color is too light, add more dye; if color is too dark, add more water. Dye will appear lighter when dry.
  4. Wearing rubber gloves, apply dye to chair using a foam brush, bristle brush or old cloth. Spread dye solution evenly over surface. The shape of the wood piece or the area may determine which to use. For example, a cloth works well on the legs. A bristle brush gets into the details around the joints and a foam brush covers large flat surfaces evenly, like the chair seat. Let dry and, if necessary, reapply dye to achieve desired shade. 
    Note: When staining wood, keep dye hot for better absorption. Cover dye with plastic wrap and heat on high in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
  5. Allow wood to dry completely.
  6. To seal dye-stained chair, apply one or two coats of polyurethane. Rub lightly with steel wool between coats; remove dust with a tack cloth.
  7. For clean-up, simply wash paint brushes with mild soap and water. No strong chemicals are needed.
  8. For more tips, refer to the general instructions for Dyeing Wood & Wicker.

Details