Materials Needed:
- 5 tsp Synthrapol
- 1/4 cup Soda Ash
- 3 3/4 yard white Fabric, PFD-prepared for dying or regular fabric
- Snow
- Container with Lid
- Plastic Gloves, Mask, Goggles, Apron
Procion MX Dye- Brights:
- Lemon Yellow #1 (Dharma)
- Fuchsia #13 (Dharma)
- Turquoise #25 (Dharma) or
- 108 Sun Yellow (Pro Chemical & Dye)
- 308 Fuchsia (Pro Chemical & Dye)
- 410 Turquoise (Pro Chemical & Dye)
Step 1: Prepare Fabric
Either purchase Prepared for Dying fabric from the fabric shop or take your own fabric and wash it in hot water with 1 tsp soda ash and 1 tsp Synthrapol. Rinse this and dry. Do not add Fabric softener, your goal is to have fabric ready to dye and clean of chemical agents!
Cut dried fabric into size of your choice.
3. Prepare to Dye
Place fabric in the plastic container, add snow.
4. Put on Your Safety Gear!
Put on your plastic gloves, apron, mask and goggles.
5. Add Dye
Sprinkle the powdered color dyes that you would like onto the snow. If you are wanting a rainbow gradation, start with red, then sprinkle yellow, and lastly blue. Make sure to overlap some of the powdered dye so it looks like this.
Yellow, yellow and red, red, red and blue, blue, blue and yellow.
6. Cover the container and wait
Place a lid on the container and wait 24 hours. (Keep the container inside) You want the snow to melt. The dye disperses randomly throughout the fabric. This gives a variegated pattern only achieved through snow or ice dye.
7. Rinse and Wash fabric
Rinse the fabric in cold water until the water runs colorless. Wash the fabric in hot water with 3 tsp Synthrapol. Rinse and dry. I like to iron my dyed fabric when slightly damp; it flattens the fabric very well.
8. Experiment
Try the process again, use different colors, layer fabric in the snow and different levels and play around! This is a fun process and a great midwinter project.