When making stitched mixed media journals, I love to use lace and thread that have an aged and vintage look. It just seems to complement the other bits and pieces I use to tell my stories.
Dyeing lace and thread using tea (or even coffee), is a quick and easy way to create that stained vintage look on lace and thread. Tea dyeing doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge and can be done in minutes. Here’s how to do it.
To dye using tea, put three or four tea bags in a bowl and add boiling water. Allow the tea bags to steep until the water has a strong color.
Remove the tea bags – but don’t throw them away! Set them aside on a plate to dry.
Once dried, the tea bags can be unfolded and used as background papers in your journals – they’re just the right size to add some interesting stained paper texture.
Gather some white lace and embroidery thread.
Before dyeing embroidery thread, carefully open the skein, wind two or three pieces of yarn through through the threads and tie off. This will prevent the threads from becoming tangled.
Once you have everything ready, put it into the hot tea solution and let it soak for 2 or 3 minutes. Pull a piece out to test the color. If it needs to be darker, let it soak for a few more minutes.
Remove from the tea solution, rinse, and allow to dry on a towel. If the color is too light, just repeat the process until you get a color depth that you’re pleased with.
Once dried, you can see how lovely and aged the threads and lace look – perfect for adding a touch of vintage to your journals.
Have fun!
