DIY Ombré Tie Dye Tote Bags

Sydney and I decided we wanted to give something personal and handmade to our customers at our upcoming vendor markets. We wanted them to be able to use it again, beyond just the market. Then it came to us – canvas tote bags! We know that people can use an extra bag for storing all their goodies at the market and it made us happy to know that they would have a life beyond the market. And the best part? They were SO easy to create – and you can do it too! Just follow these steps for ombré perfection.

1. First wash and dry all the tote bags that you will be dyeing.
2. Next, create your dye bath. Follow the instructions on the dye bottle. I used Rit dye. It says that for every pound of dry fabric, use half a bottle of dye with 3 gallons of very hot water.
3. Wear rubber gloves. Add the hot water first, then 1 tsp of liquid dish detergent and 1 cup of salt (for cotton, rayon or linen) or 1 cup of vinegar (for nylon, silk or wool).
4. Add dye and mix very well.
5. Submerge your tote bag ⅔ of the way into the dye bath and pull back out immediately, leaving half of the bag submerged. This will create your first, lightest “layer” and your second middle layer. Clothespin the tote bag to the top of the dye bath bin and let sit for 10-15 mins.
6. Pull the tote bag ⅔ of the way out of the dye bath, leaving only the bottom ⅓ submerged in the bath and clothespin to the top to keep in place. Let sit for at least 15-30 mins.
7. Remove your tote bag(s) and thoroughly rinse with cold water either using a sink or hose.
8. Wash like normal in your HE washer and then dry.
9. Iron out all the wrinkles.
10. Viola! You have a beautiful ombre tie dye tote bag!