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How to dye Buttons1 Written by Tracey Nuthall: Costumes without Drama 1 How to dye buttons and plastic objects using fabric dye Buttons can make or break a costume. Did you know how easy it is to dye buttons? The process is simple: in fact, it is easier than dying fabric. Start with plain white buttons (you may also use translucent buttons) Dying synthetics involves a different process to dying natural products. Sublimation dying incorporates the dye right into the structure of the fibres/plastic, meaning that the colours last longer, and remain stable – we all know that a cotton garment will fade when laundered, synthetics and their colours last forever (Which is part of the overall problem, really, but that is another story) Sublimation dying generally requires heat, pressure and duration to set the colour, so when printing a synthetic tshirt, the dye is printed onto transfer paper in reverse, and pressed onto the tshirt with heat and pressure, for a set period of time. Dying fabric usually involves putting the garment into a container or pot and heating over a stove, in a microwave or on a hot washing machine setting. The washing machine on a very long hot cycle gives a great result usually with an even finish. Buttons use VERY LITTLE dye and can be dyed in a cup. Simply mix equal quantities of liquid dye, vinegar and water in a cup (10 -15 ml of each would suffice) add the buttons and place in microwave for thirty seconds then wait 30 seconds. Lift one button out with a fork or spoon and check for the intensity of colour. If it isn’t dark enough heat and wait another couple of times (I find about 3 X 30 seconds gives a good rich colour. If it still isn’t dark enough add some more dye to the cup and repeat the heating and standing until the colour is attained. Once the correct colour has been reached, lift the button/s out of the liquid and rinse under water. Dry with a towel. Done If it is too dark, you cannot go back, so it is strongly recommended that you start with a weaker solution and gradually add more dye. In theory from start to finish it can take less than 5 minutes. The dye bath in a cup may be used for multiple buttons in one go, or batches one after another. The dye colour will gradually become weaker, so add more dye concentrate if necessary. Don’t forget, different proportions of dye, vinegar and water may change the colour slightly so batch colours may vary. (Quite a bit of the water evaporates as part of the microwave process.) You can then ‘value add’ your dying process and create a contrast pattern by sticking cut pieces of sticking tape, I used ‘electrical’ insulating tape in this instance, which worked very well. If you need custom made costumes, or anything from our collection of in excess of 12,000 inventoried items to hire, contact Costumes without Drama. Phone 0411 431 430 GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEXT PROJECT! Please share your experiences, I would love to hear from you.

How to dye buttons and Lift one button out with a fork or ... · Sublimation dying generally requires heat, pressure and duration to set the colour, so when printing a synthetic tshirt,

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Page 1: How to dye buttons and Lift one button out with a fork or ... · Sublimation dying generally requires heat, pressure and duration to set the colour, so when printing a synthetic tshirt,

HowtodyeButtons1

WrittenbyTraceyNuthall:CostumeswithoutDrama 1

HowtodyebuttonsandplasticobjectsusingfabricdyeButtonscanmakeorbreakacostume.Didyouknowhoweasyitistodyebuttons?Theprocessissimple:infact,itiseasierthandyingfabric.Startwithplainwhitebuttons(youmayalsousetranslucentbuttons)Dyingsyntheticsinvolvesadifferentprocesstodyingnaturalproducts.Sublimationdyingincorporatesthedyerightintothestructureofthefibres/plastic,meaningthatthecolourslastlonger,andremainstable–weallknowthatacottongarmentwillfadewhenlaundered,syntheticsandtheircolourslastforever(Whichispartoftheoverallproblem,really,butthatisanotherstory)Sublimationdyinggenerallyrequiresheat,pressureanddurationtosetthecolour,sowhenprintingasynthetictshirt,thedyeisprintedontotransferpaperinreverse,andpressedontothetshirtwithheatandpressure,forasetperiodoftime.Dyingfabricusuallyinvolvesputtingthegarmentintoacontainerorpotandheatingoverastove,inamicrowaveoronahotwashingmachinesetting.Thewashingmachineonaverylonghotcyclegivesagreatresultusuallywithanevenfinish.ButtonsuseVERYLITTLEdyeandcanbedyedinacup.Simplymixequalquantitiesofliquiddye,vinegarandwaterinacup(10-15mlofeachwouldsuffice)addthebuttonsandplaceinmicrowaveforthirtysecondsthenwait30seconds.

Liftonebuttonoutwithaforkorspoonandcheckfortheintensityofcolour.Ifitisn’tdarkenoughheatandwaitanothercoupleoftimes(Ifindabout3X30secondsgivesagoodrichcolour.Ifitstillisn’tdarkenoughaddsomemoredyetothecupandrepeattheheatingandstandinguntilthecolourisattained.Oncethecorrectcolourhasbeenreached,liftthebutton/soutoftheliquidandrinseunderwater.Drywithatowel.DoneIfitistoodark,youcannotgoback,soitisstronglyrecommendedthatyoustartwithaweakersolutionandgraduallyaddmoredye.Intheoryfromstarttofinishitcantakelessthan5minutes.Thedyebathinacupmaybeusedformultiplebuttonsinonego,orbatchesoneafteranother.Thedyecolourwillgraduallybecomeweaker,soaddmoredyeconcentrateifnecessary.Don’tforget,differentproportionsofdye,vinegarandwatermaychangethecolourslightlysobatchcoloursmayvary.(Quiteabitofthewaterevaporatesaspartofthemicrowaveprocess.)Youcanthen‘valueadd’yourdyingprocessandcreateacontrastpatternbystickingcutpiecesofstickingtape,Iused‘electrical’insulatingtapeinthisinstance,whichworkedverywell.Ifyouneedcustommadecostumes,oranythingfromourcollectionofinexcessof12,000inventorieditemstohire,contactCostumeswithoutDrama.Phone0411431430GOODLUCKWITHYOURNEXTPROJECT!Pleaseshareyourexperiences,Iwouldlovetohearfromyou.

Page 2: How to dye buttons and Lift one button out with a fork or ... · Sublimation dying generally requires heat, pressure and duration to set the colour, so when printing a synthetic tshirt,

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