How To Dye Silk Cord.

Q: My wife wants to learn what you can use to dye silk cord or thread.

A: To dye silk thread brown shades, use tea or coffee until it becomes the right shade. This works well. I have also resorted to using permanent magic marker when I couldn't find anything near what I wanted. It doesn't come off, and the silk takes the color well. Here's a subject with which I am well acquainted! I use silk thread in most of my beading projects, and I find it economical to buy white thread in quantity and dye it myself. For tan, brown, or dark brown tea or coffee is great. Steep in hot coffee or tea until the desired color is reached, then rinse in cold water. Cold water with a little vinegar in it will help hold the color. I have also had great luck with commercial dyes, such as 'Rit'. I keep the dyes in labeled baby food jars. When I want to dye some thread, I cut the thread to the desired length, put a few grains of dye in a cup, and add hot water. Steep the thread until you get the color you want, remembering that rinsing the thread will lighten the color slightly. You can also mix your own colors with 'Rit' dyes. One time, I purchased 'Rit' "mint green" dye. The color that came out was nothing near the "mint green" shown on the package, so I wrote to 'Rit' (writ to 'Rit'?) with my disappointment. They send me a very useful package which included charts for mixing custom dye colors. I'm sure you could have these charts just by asking.

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