How to Dye Felted Wool

Using a Stove and Fabric Dye

Soak up to 1 pound (454 g) of white, felted wool in warm water. The wool needs to be damp before you dye it, otherwise it won't pick up the color. The wool doesn't need to soak for a specific amount of time, so you can prepare the water and dye in the meantime. Gently squeeze the wool under the water. This ensures that it soaks up the water evenly. For best results, use white felted wool. You can try off-white, ivory, or a very pale gray, but be aware that the dye won't come out exactly the way it looks on the package. You can dye less than 1 pound (454 g) of wool, but you shouldn't dye more using this recipe.

Bring 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Set a large pot on the stove and fill it with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce it to a simmer. Depending on your stove, this will be between low and medium-low heat. For best results, use a stainless steel pot. Aluminum and copper pots sometimes react to fabric dyes. Do not use the pot for cooking again. If you need to, buy a cheap pot at a thrift store or garage sale.

Stir in your fabric dye. How much dye you use depends on the shade you want to get. In order to get the shade that's on the package, plan on using 1/2 bottle of liquid fabric dye or 1 packet of powdered fabric dye. Alternatively, you can use a sugar-free, powdered drink mix, such as Kool Aid. You can also use less dye for a lighter shade, if you prefer. Shake bottled dye first; this ensures that the dye particles dissolve properly. One packet of powdered drink mix is enough to dye an 8 ⁄2 by 11 in (22 by 28 cm) sheet of wool. Be aware that it may not be colorfast.

Add 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar, then stir the dye for 2 minutes. Fabric dye needs extra acid in order to stick to wool, so the vinegar is a must. Once you add the vinegar, stir the dye bath with a wooden spoon. Again, make sure that you won’t use this spoon for cooking again. Some wool crafters recommend adding vinegar to powdered drink mix dyes. This will help the color adhere to the wool better.

Add the wool into the pot and submerge it completely. Again, you can only dye up to 1 pound (454 g) of wool. If you want to dye more wool, you will have to prepare another dye batch. If you try to cram too much wool into your pot, you won't get a consistent color. The wool will want to float to the top, so push it down with your wooden spoon.

Simmer the wool for up to 30 minutes, stirring it occasionally. The longer you leave the wool in the dye, the deeper the color will be. After 30 minutes, it should reach the darkest color possible, which is the color on the packaging. If you want an even darker color, you'll have to add some black or brown dye. If you want a lighter shade, pull the wool out sooner.

Rinse the wool in plain water for 5 minutes or until the water runs clear. Use your spoon or a pair of kitchen tongs to pull the wool out of the dye. Rinse the wool under clear, running water until the water turns clear--about 5 minutes. If you need to handle the wool with your hands, put on a pair of gloves first, or the dye will stain your hands.

Squeeze the excess water out, then allow the wool to air dry. The best way to dry the wool is to spread it out on a dry towel, and leave it alone for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can set it down on a wire cooling rack, but be aware that this may leave behind an imprint. Wire cooling racks are best reserved for smaller pieces of felt. Move the felt around often as it dries, otherwise the wire grid will leave creases. If the wool came out wrinkled, iron it using the cool or wool setting on your iron.

Using a Pan and Food Coloring

Fill a shallow pan with enough water to cover your wool. Choose a large baking pan, such as a jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. Pour just enough water into it to cover your wool. Unlike the other method, you can reuse your pan for cooking because the food coloring is edible. For example, if your wool is ⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) thick, make the water ⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) deep. Be aware that this method is not colorfast. The color will come out if the wool gets wet. This method is best for craft projects that won't get wet, like figurines.

Soak your wool in warm water, then squeeze the excess water out. Your wool can be the same size as the pan or smaller. How much you end up using depends on the size of your pan. You should be able to spread the wool out in the pan without crumpling it. For best results, use white wool. Off-white, ivory, or pale gray may also work.

Add a few drops of liquid food coloring into the water. You can use just 1 color, or you can use 2 colors. If you choose 2 colors, make sure that they go together. They will mix to some extent. How many drops you add is up to you, but try to coat most of the surface. The more dye you use, the deeper the color will be. For example, blue and yellow work well together, because they make green. Purple and yellow don't work well because they make brown.

Swirl the drops together until you get the look you want. How much you swirl the drops together is up to you. You can swirl the drops together completely to create a solid color, or you can swirl them together lightly to create a marbled or tie-dye effect. You can swirl the drops together with a spoon, a toothpick, or even your finger! If you use your finger, it might be a good idea to wear a plastic glove.

Set the felt into the pan and press down on it. Make sure that you press down firmly enough so that the water soaks through the felt. Do not move the felt around, especially if you only slightly swirled the drops together.

Take the felt out of the pan and blot off the excess water. Set the felt down on a towel, then gently dab the excess water off with a clean towel. Be aware that the food coloring may stain the towels, so it's best not to use any that you care about. If you don't have any towels that can get stained, use paper towels instead. You don't need to soak the felt for a specific period of time--as long as the felt is soaked through, you can move on to the next step.

Allow the felt to air dry. You can use a wire cooling rack, but you will need to move the felt around often, otherwise the wires will create an imprint. Alternatively, you can set it down on a clean towel to dry. It will take about 1 hour for the wool to dry. If the wool is wrinkled, you can iron it with the cool or wool setting on your iron.