Hand-Dyed Diapers

I have always been one to really get into special events and holidays. I always use face paint, costumes, and dress accordingly. But, it never occurred to me until recently that I can make my much loved cloth diapers a fun part of the many props I use to celebrate. I have been cloth diapering for almost 2 years now, and I love color and I love when my little ones’ diapers match what they wear.

There really is nothing that screams “Use cloth!” like a cute diaper peeking out of little pants that looks like it came with the outfit. This past Independence Day I really wanted to make a statement to everyone and let them know that our family is proud to be in America.

This time, instead of doing it with face paints or crazy hats I decided to show my support by dying one of our BabyKicks Organic Fitted cloth diapers red, white, and blue! This is something I’ve never done before, so I was a little intimidated by it. But, since I have my (most of the time) trusty internet, I did some research and found that it is actually very simple to dye clothes and cloth diapers at home. I went to the one fabric store in our little city and bought 2 colors (Tulip Red and Navy Blue) of the only fabric dye they had, Dylon. I don’t how this compares with other dyes, but since I am a novice I decided to give it a try. I soaked the diaper thoroughly in water and then prepared the dye. The package called for a sink full of water for the “garment” to be dyed correctly, but I wanted the colors to be very rich so I added the recommended amount of water to dissolve the dye completely and that was it. I had extra Tupperware type containers I picked up for one dollar each at the Dollar Store and used them to mix the dye in. I hung the diaper on a hanger with clothespins then dipped half of it into the solution. I held it there for about 2 minutes then let it drip with the hanger attached to the cabinet knob. I was in the kitchen and it worked out great! I was able to put the plastic container of dye right underneath the diaper without having to worry about a mess. I waited about 10 minutes and when the freshly dipped diaper stopped dripping I carefully, using rubber gloves, turned it around and dipped the opposite side into the second color. Waited 2 minutes and hung it up to drip for another 10 minutes. While the diaper was dripping this time I placed 2 large squares of plastic wrap on the counter, slightly overlapping each other to make one large rectangle. When the diaper was done dripping this time I placed it on the plastic wrap and wrapped it up then put it into a gallon Ziploc bag for 24 hours. After letting the dye set I rinsed, rinsed, rinsed until the water ran clear then washed with some towels to make sure all the excess dye was out. While I was hanging it on the line to dry a smile came across my face.

I was very impressed with the results of my “new” patriotic fluff. I have found a new passion for cloth that I didn’t realize was possible. Cute prints have nothing on hand dyed patterns! Next time, I am going to try using more natural methods of dying, such as using roots, vegetables, etc. But, for now, I’m glad I was able to show our love for our country as well as our love for cloth all at the same time!

By Gina of BabyKicks