DIY Ombré Napkins

As spring starts to reel in its pretty little head, the entertainer and maker in me starts shakin’ with party decoration ideas!! Today I’ve got a DIY party idea SO easy it’s one for the books. Say hello to my double-dip dyed—and tickled pink—DIY ombré napkins.

My first try at the dye, these cloth dinner napkins pump up the look and feel of any fiesta! The best part: it cost $17 to make. I picked up the white linen and cotton blend napkins from HomeGoods and the RIT Petal Pink dye from my local crafts store. All other supplies needed were hanging around the house!

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 2-Quart Saucepan or Mixing Bowl
  • RIT Petal Pink dye
  • White Dinner Napkins
  • Cloth Test Strips
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Measuring Cup
  • Pasta Drying Rack
  • Blow Dryer (optional)

Since this was a small set of eight dinner napkins, I opted for the stovetop method (RIT packaging explains the other methods right on the box!). My heart was set on the double-dip. Using my cloth test strips, I experimented with how much dye was necessary to create distinctly different colors for an ombré effect.

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

TIP: Let cloth napkins sit in the dye at your preferred level for at least 30 to 60 seconds. This allows the dye to slowly saturate the fabric upwards creating a well-blended, ombré effect.

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Make sure to fold your napkins in a way that it’ll be easy to hang / air dry them.

2) For the first dip, mix six cups of water and a ¼ teaspoon of dye. Bring dye to a simmer and then  remove from heat. Dip the cloth napkins to your preferred height. Hang to dry overnight.

3) For the second dip, mix six cups of water and 1 teaspoon of dye. Bring dye to a simmer then remove from heat. Dip the cloth napkins to your preferred height. Hang to dry overnight.

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

TIP: I used a pasta drying rack which was superbly convenient! It took about 10 to 12 hours for the napkins to dry. Use a blowdryer to speed up the process.

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

There you have it, people! The easiest DIY that ever lived. Impress yourself, impress your guests, and see for yourself how easy it is to live magazine ready for life!

Here’s a teaser of how to use your DIY double-dip dye ombre napkins coming atcha in the coming weeks. A Cinco de Mayo celebration you WON’T want to miss …

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

DIY Ombre Napkins | Party Decoration Ideas | Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies | Jessica Brigham | Magazine Ready for Life

Have you ever given the dye a try?!! 

Let me know whatcha think below!

SaveSaveSaveSave

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. Jackie M Reeves says:

    I have old white damask napkins – would that look OK for ombre napkins? They are 65% cotton/35% poly.

    1. Jessica Brigham says:

      As long as the fabric is very absorbent the dye should hold! Dip in regular water, see how quickly it takes. If they’re old and rarely used, I’d say take the risk regardless!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *