Dip dying crepe paper

One of my favorite (and easiest) methods for dying doublette crepe paper is by dip dying it. I cut a fold of white into thirds and end up with enough duo-colored crepe to make half a dozen roses and a few buds.

Follow the steps with your own combinations – you can use just one color if you like. Experiement! But don’t forget to write down your process so you can repeat it. I made some binder sheets to write down my “recipes” so I can refer back to them – you can find those in the shop here.

• STEP 1 – Cut a fold of white doublette into thirds across the grain and unfold and loosely gather it into a bundle. Using a cup or glass with a wide base (big enough to accomodate your bundle of paper), cut up small squares of brightly colored crepe or use scraps and mix with a small amount of water. You can always add more if it isn’t enough. press down on the scraps of colored paper until you have a richly colored water.
• STEP 2 – Place the bundle into the glass or cup and allow the colored water to be absorbed by the bundle of crepe. When the color has “crept up” the paper to the desired height, take the bundle from the glass.
• STEP 3 – Stand the bundle on end and allow the color to continue to flow unless you are happy with the amount that’s been absorbed. Otherwise, stand the bundle on the colored end or…
• STEP 4 – Place the bundle in the next color – white end, of course – until it has absorbed up almost to the first color.
• STEP 5 – Remove the bundle and lay on a dry, protected surface (I use waxed paper) and allow the paper to rest while the colors blend. Allow to dry for a while until you can safely handle and unroll the bundle to allow it to continue drying. I usually end up with several brightly colored strips of paper across the grass in my yard. I do not hang them when they are still very wet because that will decrease the stretch of the paper as they are drying and will also put them at risk of tearing. When they become almost dry, you can hang them without losing the stretch.

The “controlled” randomness of dying crepe this way results in a really pretty blend and variation in colors without having to use another colorant such as pan pastels to color your petals.

NOTE: The reason I cut my fold of doublette into thirds is to give me enough height to cut just about any petal I will need. You will become accustomed to cutting your paper into the height you need or check with your templates and adjust how you divide your paper accordingly.

Let me know your favorite technique for dying crepe below in the comments or get in touch if you have a question.

xoxo