Dip Dying - Ombre Lamp Shades

Since our first dip dying ombre shirt project was such a success, we wanted to get a little more adventurous and try this method on a different medium - lamp shades. Yes, I said lamp shades.

Materials and Tools

• 1 8-oz bottle of Rit Dye Liquid in the color of your choice (ours is in Aquamarine). We recommend liquid dye over powder dye, as liquid dye dissolves much faster in water and doesn't leave dye marks. 
• 1 fabric lamp shade (ours is from IKEA) 
• 1 large plastic bag to cover the drying area
• Rubber gloves 
• Salt

Process

Step 1:

Depending on the size of the shade, use a tub or a sink. Fill the sink with hot water to your desired level. Add half a bottle of dye and a handful of salt, then stir until the dye is fully dissolved. 

Step 2:

Dip the shade in the sink to where you want the color to start. Add more water if needed. Make sure the shade sits evenly in the sink, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Step 3:

Place the shade on a large plastic bag to dry. To create the next layer of colour, reduce the water level, and add 1/4 bottle of dye. Put the lampshade back in and let it sit for 20 minutes. Repeat this step one last time with less water and more dye to create the last layer of color. 

Step 4:

Let the lampshade dry for at least 36 hours. If there are water marks on the shade, use a Tide-to-Go pen to erase the marks. 

Final Result

Before: 

After: