Learn how to dye fabric with tea to makes a lovely patina for an aged look to a basic fabric. Sometimes this is referred to as tea staining fabric. Tea dyeing does not create a major change in the color of the textile, it’s a great and inexpensive way to create a vintage look to either new or old fabrics or clothing. Below is a step-by-step guide how to tea stain fabric.
Tea dyeing fabric is a natural, inexpensive and non-toxic way to change the color of your cloth. The tannnins in black tea make a great dye, giving your fabrics a nice patina. The tannins bond well to natural fibers, so you don’t need any mordants to assist with this, making tea dyeing an easy method.
Here are our tips and tricks on staining fabric with tea. We show you how to dye fabric with tea bags.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
How to Dye Fabric with Tea
Dyeing fabric with tea is easy and gives the fabric the patina of an old linen.
Materials
- About 10 - 20 black tea bags (more tea bags makes darker fabric)
- Water
- About 2 - 4 tablespoons of table salt
- About 1/4 - 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 yard white cotton fabric (may use less or more, which means you'll need a larger or smaller pot and more or less tea bags). You can use a printed fabric that has white and another color, to make the white more of a beige. NOTE: You can dye clothing or other textile items, but it is best to make sure they are 100% cotton. A poly-blend fabric will not take the color as well as 100% cotton.
Tools
- Large pot
- Large spoon or tongs
Instructions
Find a large pot in your kitchen that will easily hold the fabric that you want to dye with tea. I used a big soup pot. Fill the pot with water to about 2″ from the top.
To prepare the tea bags, either pull off the paper tab or purchase tea bags with no string or paper tab, which is what I did — makes it much easier. Use about 1 tea bag for each cup of water. I used 10 tea bags for my pot of water.
- Place the tea bags and 1/4 cup of salt in the water, and bring to a full boil. The salt helps set the tea dye in the fabric.
- While your water is coming to a full boil, prepare your fabric. I wanted a mottled look to my fabric, so I bundled it up and secured with several rubber bands. This will cause some variations of the color. Carefully add your fabric to the boiling pot of tea. If you want more of a solid color, add the piece of fabric and use long tongs to move the fabric around in the tea to make sure it is completely submerged.
Simmer the tea with the fabric for about an hour. Check it often and make sure that the fabric continues to be submerged, whether it is a bundled or not.
If your fabric is not bundled, check the color and see if you like it. Note: the color will fade a bit when the fabric dries.
If your fabric is bundled, I don’t open it, as I want it to set with the darker creases and wrinkles. - Turn the burner off and I like to leave the fabric to soak overnight, to get good color from the tea.
In the morning, take your fabric out of the tea and dispose of the tea bags and tea. If you bundled your fabric, take off the rubber bands and open your fabric — enjoy the big reveal and how your fabric took the dye! - Take your fabric to a sink and rinse until water runs clear. Then, place your fabric back in your pot and cover with clear water. Add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the water and swish around to mix. Keep the fabric in the water / vinegar mixture for about an hour, to help set the dye.
Unfold the fabric and rinse in clean water until it runs clear.
Wash and dry fabric to remove all excess tea and vinegar smell. I ran it through the washing machine for a good wash.
Enjoy your new tea dyed fabric!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Is dyeing fabric with tea permanent?
The answer is pretty much yes. If you had accidentally spilled tea or coffee on your linens or clothes, it does come out – sometimes with a little bleach or stain remover. If the stain is really set in, usually a soak in Oxyclean will get it out.
With this process of tea dyed fabric, it’s not a simple spill, we are encouraging the fibers to soak in the tea and hold on to the new color. I would consider this method permanent, but if you really, really didn’t like it once it is done, you probably could use a lot of elbow grease to get it out.
How long does it take to dye fabric with tea?
You need some patience! It’s basically a two-day process. Begin in the morning of day one and prepare your tea bath for your fabrics. Add your fabrics or clothes in the afternoon, let them simmer and then soak overnight. On day two, wash out your fabrics and prepare them for your project.
What fabrics can you dye with tea?
It is best to use natural fiber fabrics, like cotton, linen or silk. Polyester, nylon and rayon fabrics or blends will take the tea dye, but generally not as well. Always test a sample of your fabric first.
How to tea dye clothes?
Dyeing clothes with tea is easy, too. Just put the garment in the pot and follow the directions above for how to dye clothes with tea.
Why would you want to tea dye fabric?
Tea has been used as a natural dye for fabrics for centuries. It gives naturally white fabrics a subtle beige color that is similar to natural linen. This method has been used for clothing and linens. Learn how to tea dye fabric to make it look old with these methods.
What’s the best way to test a sample of the fabric before tea dyeing?
Take one tea bag and put in a large coffee cup. Pour boiling water over the tea bag. Add a piece of your fabric, about 4-5″ square. Soak for about 10 minutes, then microwave for about 30 seconds to heat it up again. Don’t let it boil in the microwave. Let it sit for a few hours. Rinse until the water is clear. If the color stays in the fabric, it will when you do your larger piece.
Can I tea dye a finished garment? Draperies? Linens?
Yes! You can tea dye just about anything! For larger items, you just need a large enough pot to hold the tea and whatever it is your are dyeing. Follow the same directions as above.
Can I use other tea blends or flavors to dye fabric?
Yes! I thought of other teas that might make interesting colors and tried Green tea, Hibiscus tea and Red Zinger. The two red tone teas were gorgeous in the water, but after rinsing, faded all away. The green tea never was ‘lovely’ but it was a darker shade until rinsing. These are fine but not too exciting. I think I’ll stick to black tea for dyeing my fabrics with tea. Here are my results:
Check out all of our surface design inspiration on Create Whimsy!
