dying ribbons

[tianehu]

i wanted to know, how do you colour your ribbons? do you use normal clothes dye, or colour them in with a special paint/pen? will it work on all types of fabric eg nylon? Thanks.

[tianehu]

oh and i forgot to ask, what if you want to draw designs? must you use a special sort of pen? for example, intricate designs like this. i hope the link works!

[rhythmicprincess]

I colored my ribbon with fabric markers i got at the local craft store. They worked great but made the ribbon a tiny bit stiff, you you cant tell with the ribbon moving-only to the touch. The reason i chose marker a opposed to liquid dye was that i colored it rainbow and i used small sections which is easier just to color with markers. also buying many pens is cheaper then buying many dying kits.

[tianehu]

oh okay thanks! i believe i can get fabric markers here too. what material is your ribbon by the way? will the marker seep and spread?

[Isabel]

Be sure to check the markers on an old ribbon to be sure that they will not make your ribbon stiff. Crayola markers have bright colours and you'll get a soft ribbon, just be sure not to get your ribbon wet as they are not water resistant. Pantone markers also work well but are more expensive.
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~Isabel~
www.illusioncostumes.com

[LisaMN]

I don't recommend fabric dye to do ribbons, in my experience they actually shrink the ribbon and can make them fall apart!!! (Not good when you get to a competition and realise that a ribbon that was .5 m longer then minimun length is now too short!!)

Last year when I did the ribbons for my girls I actually found some silk fabric paint/dye, you need to be careful with it cause it can run easily but it worked really great, I plan to use it on all the new ribbons this year. I like it better then the markers because I find it fills the colour in better!!

Lisa MN
Rhythmic Inspirations