This beachy DIY ice dye throw blanket didn’t turn out exactly how I planned, but so many people loved it so I thought I’d share how I made it today. [UPDATE: see the new version, Ice Dye Throw 2.0 at the bottom of this post]. For my spring home tour (which you can catch here, if you missed it), I wanted to lighten up my decor without spending a lot of money and one of the ways I brightened up the bedroom was to switch in some blue accessories and put away my thick winter wool blanket. Without a blanket though, the bed looked so naked – it’s funny how we get used to something, isn’t it? To add color, but no extra weight, I made this cute DIY ice dye throw blanket using a piece of cotton, boho cotton trim, procion fabric dyes – and ice, of course!
I’ve been ice dyeing fabrics for years – you might remember my diy ice dyed pillows or my ice dye napkin tutorial. I love the technique because it’s practically foolproof. The problem I had was that I recently ordered six new procion dyes and the company sent me two incorrect colors. Of course one of the missing colors (a deeper, darker version of my new wall color, with a bit more blue) was earmarked for this DIY ice dye throw blanket project. Impatient, I went ahead and used another teal hue (parakeet) but it was a little too lurid. So I dyed it again with teal, which ended up way darker than I had hoped. But the thing about dyeing – especially ice dyeing – is that it’s always a little bit of an adventure. Different, unexpected colors pop out of the dye, the dye settles in a different way each time – that’s the fun part of learning how to dye with ice!
Supplies for a Beachy DIY Ice Dye Throw Blanket:
- Cotton or other natural fiber fabric (the length/width you need will be up to you)
- Cotton tassel or fringe trim
- Thread (it might not take the dye, just FYI)
- Sewing machine
- Procion fabric dyes (I first used Parakeet, then dyed over with Teal)
- Soda ash
- Ice
- Wire racks/laundry tub/wash basin
- Rubber gloves
- Dust mask
Some Notes on the Ice Dyeing and Fabric Supplies:
The fabric: choose a fabric that’s a natural material (cotton, silk, etc) because this dye is designed for that and dyeing synthetics is always trickier. Choose a weight that makes a nice throw, which is up to you! I considered linen, linen-cotton blends, and silk, but ultimately settled on a cotton twill that had a great texture and handmade feel. [For DIY Ice Dye Throw 2.0 I upgraded to a fancier linen slub and I loooove it – more sheen and vibrancy than the cotton, which seems duller by comparison].
The trim/thread: make sure the trim you choose is cotton so that it takes the dye the same way as the fabric – if your thread is poly or poly-blend, it won’t take the dye, which might be fine! But knowing this, you might want to sew with a darker color to match the dye if the white thread showing bothers you.
The dye: procion dyes will look like a certain color when used to dye fabric normally, but when used for ice dyeing surprising colors will pop out of it. With my indigo hued ice dye pillows, a bright flash of pink popped up. Pay attention to the undertones of the color: for an aqua color on the green side of green-blue, a bright lime green might pop up. For a purpley blue, you might see a flash of bright magenta. Look at where the color is on the color wheel. But be ready for surprises! From two colors (teal and parakeet) I used, look how many colors popped up! I recommend dyeing with ONE color (you can always add more) to prevent muddying up the finished product.
“Sewing” an Easy Throw:
Before dyeing, I pre-washed my cotton fabric and tossed it into the dryer to pre-shrink it and remove sizing so it takes the dye better. I used three meters of the fabric, which fits across my king sized bed. Because I didn’t cut the width of the fabric, I used the edges of the fabric as-is. If you do the same, there is no sewing required for the sides! For the ends, I didn’t hem! The fabric has frayed nicely in the wash/dry process so all I did was trim the frayed thread and sew on the cotton fringe trim so it lined up with the natural fray of the fabric. I did two rows of stitching to anchor the cotton trim. I turned the ends of the trim under at the ends, but other than that, I literally just sewed a straight line – DONE!
Here’s a peek at the trim once it’s dyed:
Preparing Fabric for the Ice Dye:
To see photos of this process, take a peek at my original ice dyeing tutorial here. With the throw washed and sewn, I filled a bucket with 8 liters of warm water and dissolved two cups of soda ash in the water. The amount of water you’ll need will depend on your fabric size/weight. Just remember it’s 1 cup of soda ash per 4 liters (1 gallon) of water. You want all of the fabric submerged in the solution. Wear rubber gloves because the soda ash solution is really a skin irritant. Soak the fabric in the soda ash solution for half an hour. Then remove the fabric from the soda ash solution and wring it out (but set the rest of the soda ash solution aside, because you can use it again!).
Ice Dyeing the Fabric:
Place a metal grate (like a cookie wrack) over a basin or just right in your laundry tub if you don’t mind a little dye stain. Twist and bunch the fabric up and cover with ice (see here for photos). Then sprinkle on the procion dye and let it melt. I find it helps if you do this overnight so that even when the ice has melted, the dye has time to really sink into the fibers. Then rinse in cool water and launder with like colors!
The Ice Dyed Fabric – Version 1:
For my first attempt, using just Parakeet, the color turned very lime green! I expected more teal, but the blue and green seemed to get “pulled apart” for lack of a better word. This tie dye look was achieved with just the one dye color.
The Ice Dyed Fabric – Version 2:
For my second attempt, I didn’t have any more ice so I tried snow! It didn’t work as well as the ice. The dye sort of sunk through the snow more quickly and traveled around the fabric less. The end result was splotchier and less marbled. I dyed over the Parakeet-dyed fabric with Teal.
The Final Ice Dye Fabric:
Here is the final ice dye result, dyed first with only Parakeet and then re-dyed a second time with Teal.
At first, I was disappointed because I pictured fabric more like my ice dye pillows, but it’s grown on me. It feels vibrant and summery – the bedroom looks quite beachy! I experimented on the silk I used for the runner in my spring home tour and the slightly muted blush pink really deepened the dye colors and introduced a wonderful sheen into the project:
Hopefully you liked this boho meets beachy DIY ice dye throw blanket – let me know what you think of it in the comments, and what you’d like to see me dye or sew next!
Pin This Idea for Later:
UPDATE: Ice Dye Throw 2.0
When the dye I ordered (Kingfisher Blue) finally arrived, I decided to start fresh. Instead of the inexpensive cotton, I splurged on a much fancier cotton slub. I skipped any trims and embellishments and just dyed the fabric. Here’s a peek at the new dye and the dyeing process again – just for fun!
And here’s the finished ice dyed throw, using just Kingfisher Blue (my original plan):
So, which version do you like better?
Great blog! That blue really brightens up the room great choice of colour! Take care, Jamie.
Author
Thanks Jamie! So glad you like it.
Thank you SO much for all of the details you included in this. It’s so helpful, especially with colors.
Author
You’re so welcome! I am so happy to hear that you found it helpful!
I really liked them both but the first one you made is more to my liking. But they both come out beautiful. I have never heard of ice dyeing new on my part. They are both beautiful. Thank you for all the info and pictures
Author
Thanks Darlene, I’m so happy you like it!
Let me make sure I’m following correctly!
So on the 1st dye which resulted in the lime coloring – you used Parakeet & Teal….then took the same piece of (already dyed) fabric and added the Kingfisher – which resulted in the prettier but splotchy look.
For the 2.0 version, were all three colors used or only Kingfisher? I’ve read through the post several times and it isn’t clear 😉
When using more than one color how did you distribute the powder over the ice? Did colors overlap?
Thanks in advance for your reply, I’m really excited to give this a try! BTW I love your blog and I’m happy to see there is another human in this world that shares the love of all things teal / aqua / turquoise!
Author
Hi Taylor, I’m so sorry, I’ll go through and edit the post so it’s more clear. This is choppier tutorial than usual, because I shared the hits and the misses haha.
First attempt was just parakeet. Two colors popped out of that dye attempt and created the neon-looking first version. Then I re-dyed that same cotton fabric over that with the teal. Those two layered colors created the the splotchier more colorful final product.
For the second attempt, I took a brand new piece of fabric (linen this time, not cotton) and re-dyed fresh with only kingfisher – a completely different color, and only that color.
I think ice dye works best when you use one color because different shades – and sometimes different colors – will pop out of the dye creating depth and interest.
When I do layer colors, I just sprinkle them both randomly and the colors will overlap and mix as the ice melts. As you can see from my experiments, with ice dye you have to be a little open to unexpected results 🙂
I hope this helps clarify more – let me know if you have any other questions. And I’m so glad to hear you love the blog and that we share the same favorite color! It’s a small group of us, lol, so we need to stick together.
Yay, I’m so glad you responded as I have been thinking nonstop about using this method to make a duvet for our master bedroom! My husband and I can never agree on anything but this is perfect for both of us.
Your clarification definitely makes more sense now, thank you so much for taking the time to explain and I hope I didn’t sound rude in the initial post because that wasn’t my intention at all 😉
I saw you bought a 2oz container of the dye – how much did you have leftover? Is there a certain amount to use or do you just eyeball each project? I’m going to place an order from Dharma and get a few colors just to have on hand…I can’t wait!!!
Author
Hi Taylor, of course, I’m always happy to respond and I did not take any offense at all – it’s good feedback to make things clearer. I love when people try my projects, so I’m happy to help!
After dyeing my throw, I had lots of dye leftover. I eyeball it to be honest, but in the post for the second version I share a photo with about how much. If I remember correctly, maybe three tablespoons? I sprinkle it fairly lightly – not heaps. And you still want a tiny bit of white showing through the ice when you’ve sprinkled the dye. In this post about another ice dye project I share another photo of how much I used. A little goes a long way and you can always re-scrunch and dye again if you find an area that’s too light but you can’t remove any dye. I started by experimenting with napkins and that was a low-commitment way to try. So I recommend mixing up the soda ash water in a bucket and soaking something small (like a plain white tee) and experimenting with the dye. Save the bucket of soda ash for your actual project to keep costs down. Once you’ve seen how the dye and ice work together, you’ll feel super confident for your bigger project.
Good luck!!
Hi Tanya!
I’ve loved this project so much (seriously I’d pop over just to look at the photos and dream) and I’ve finally got around to attempting it myself! (With 4 pillowcases and a tablecloth) But my Procion MX dye in Turquoise didn’t split into any other colors 😭 I’m going to get another blue shade to layer over it, but I’m wondering, did you soak your first one again in the soda ash before you used the teal?
Thanks! ❤️ Alison
Author
That’s such a bummer! Some colors split better than others – but I’m really surprised it didn’t split! To layer over another color and re-do the ice dye bath, I do suggest re-soaking in soda ash again and repeating the steps.
As a side note, once your soda ash is mixed up, you can keep that solution for awhile to keep re-using for dye projects. Home Depot sells buckets with lids, and that’s a handy way to store it. So if you’re loving dyeing, I suggest keeping that soda ash solution to help keep costs down. I hope you love the second version more!
In love with this blanket! The process sounds so difficult!
Author
Thank you! And I promise it’s really easy! Once you try it, you’ll be totally hooked on ice dyeing!
It’s me again, haha! I finally got around to dyeing my bleached drop cloth and it ended up more green and yellow than I ever expected! So I want to dye over it a second time…but I’m not sure if I need to soak the already dyed and washed fabric in soda ash again?
Author
Hi again! If you have washed the fabric, yes, it will need the soda soak again.
Where did you purchase this cotton slub fabric and cotton trim? I would love to do this. It’s gorgeous and your fabric looks soft and just the right weight.
Author
I bought it from a store called Fabricland. Do you have one near you?
This throw blanket is so beautiful! I love it so much! I would love to add something like this to our living room seating area. I am going to have to try and recreate this.
Author
Thanks you!
Tanya hello, I stumbled upon your ice dying tutorial on pintrest. This is fabulous, because I have been wanting to make my own fabric designs. And this looks like a great place to start. I am wondering how much fabric I can dye at once. I might try 3-4 yards or so incase I want to make a uniform top from the cloth. I read all of your tutorials and on your napkins, the very first that you died that had yellow and blue; I think they are gorgeous, and in your throw, I too liked the first one you did, the one with the Fringe. It’s not the Fringe that makes it for me, it’s the color. Thanks for bringing my attention to this wonderful craft. I can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks again Tracy
Author
The amount of fabric you dye depends on how large a sink/basin you have. If fabric is crammed too tightly, there will be lots of areas the dye doesn’t reach. For reference, in the photos for this throw, that’s 3 meteres of fabric in a standard laundry tub sized basin. I could definitely have fit another meter or two and still had the same results. So if you’re doing my method of a cookie sheet at the bottom of a laundry sink, 3-4 yards will work just fine. I’m so glad you like this idea! I hope you have as much fun with it as I did!
Kingfisher is one of my fav dharma colors!!!