How to Dye Outdoor Cushion Covers
Have you ever wondered if you could dye your outdoor cushion covers? If so, you have come to the right place! Learn how to dye outdoor cushion covers today.
We are so thrilled to share this project with you. Take a look at all of our tips and tricks on successfully dyeing outdoor cushion covers.
I was loving my new outdoor couch and chair that I had for our deck. The white washed wood frames with off white cushions looked so nice outside, but it was getting unbelievably dirty in a matter of two weeks. I was beyond frustrated.
But then I did a little bit of research and figured out that I could dye polyester fabric. The cushion covers were 100% polyester and Rit Dye makes a dye especially for synthetic fabric! Yay! So today, with my friends at Rit Dye, I am showing you how to dye outdoor cushion covers.
I wanted something darker, that would not show so much dirt, so I went with a medium grey color. I am so pleased with how they turned out. I was inspired by the grey tone from a pillow I had that was a bit of a southwest feel, with black, grey and a pop of coral. It turned out to be a perfect match!
I was feeling so frustrated by the off-white cushions that I was considering a new set. This is why I love the magic of dye! It is so fulfilling to take something and give it new life – turning a frustrating outdoor cushion situation into something I love!
This project inspired me to move the furniture to a prettier spot on the deck and really accessorize! We are absolutely loving this outdoor lounge area!
Supplies
100% polyester cushion covers
DyeMore Dye for Synthetics in grey
Paper towels
Rubber gloves
Rubber bin
ScotchGard water and UV fabric spray
How to dye polyester outdoor cushions covers
(find more info on dying synthetic fabrics HERE)
A few tips from my process:
- Test the fabric first and make sure to wash the fabric before dying!
- Work with a friend! This is not a one person job. It was so much easier and faster with two people.
- Make sure to have paper towels ready for any splashes or drips!
- Once you are completely done with dyeing the fabric and wash and dry – you will need to make sure and spray with a sun and water shield protective spray (so the fabric will not fade).
How to keep dyed cushions from fading
You must (I repeat, you must) use a protective spray so that the newly dyed cushion covers do not fade if you are keeping the cushions outside in direct sunlight.
Here are a few options:
Ok, so polyester is a harder fabric to dye than regular cotton. You must dye polyester fabric on the stovetop, using high heat. A big pot is a must to fit the covers. (I link to one in the supplies list). I had 6 pieces that I dyed.
Instructions
Step 1
First, determine how much dye is needed. Weigh the cushion covers on a food scale or estimate the weight. As a general guideline, one bottle of Rit DyeMore will dye up to two pounds of dry fabric. If dyeing 100% polyester or trying to achieve a very bold color, double the dye quantity. I would recommend dyeing a swatch of the fabric first! My fabric was 100% polyester, so I doubled the amount of dye needed. Refer to the back of the bottle for exact measurements.
Step 2
Pre wash the cushion covers per the label’s instructions. Do not dry.
Step 3
Cover work surface. I used a paper towels and a plastic tablecloth.
Step 4
Wear rubber gloves to protect hands from getting stained and to insulate them when working with hot water.
Step 5
Due to the complexity of dyeing synthetics, you must use the stovetop method to maintain an almost boiling temperature for the duration of your dyeing (200 F° or greater). The dye will not work completely if you try and dye synthetics using luke warm or cold water.
Step 6
Fill a stainless steel pot with enough water for the fabric to move freely. Rit Dye recommends using three gallons of water for every pound of fabric. My fabric was about 3.5 – 4 pounds. I used 10 gallons of water.
Step 7
Add 1 teaspoon of dish detergent to help promote level dyeing.
Step 8
Cover pot and heat water on stove top to just below boiling (200 F° or greater).
Step 9
When water begins to simmer, shake dye bottles and add to water. Stir gently. For my dark grey fabric I added 5 bottles of Frost Grey and 2 bottles of Graphite. I had about 4 lbs of fabric, so I was generous with the dye.
Step 10
Wet the item you are going to be dyeing and add it to the dyebath. I had just washed mine so they were ready to go.
Step 11
Keep temperature at a low simmer for the duration of your dyeing.
Step 12
Stir slowly and continuously. The first 10 minutes are the most critical. Stirring helps to ensure an even color with no splotches.
Step 13
We kept the cushion covers in the dyebath for 40 minutes, stirring and moving the fabric around to get an even dye.
Step 14
Use a large set of tongs to remove the fabric from the pot carefully as it is hot! We put a rubber bin next to the large pot to move the fabric closer to the sink. Then moved the fabric into my stainless steel sink to rinse.
Step 15
Rinse in warm water and then gradually cool water until rinse water begins to run clear.
Step 16
Wash the cushion covers in your washing machine. Hang or lay flat to dry. Use a warm iron if needed.
Step 17
Spray the cushion covers with ScotchGard UV and Water protective spray.
More info can be found on the Rit Dye site here. If you are interested in changing your outdoor cushion covers, check the label to see what fabric they are! If they are polyester – use Rit DyeMore and grab a large stainless steel pot. Find a friend to give you a hand and have some fun!
This post has been sponsored by Rit Dye and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Photos by Sara Albers. Assisted by Sarah Adams.
omg – we just received the same couch from world market and right away I was like uh oh those cushions are going to look horrible very quickly – way lighter then I expected! My first thought was to buy new covers but way to $$$ next thought was maybe I could dye them and I googled and this post/pics were first thing I saw!! Thank you – can’t wait to start this project!
Hi- I just emailed yesterday re: the above post and that i am doing same project as I have same couch (no chair)! some questions… is that pot with the 5 bottles of frost grey and 2 of graphite to do all the cushions? Better to do one cushion at a time? Also – when you say dish detergent – do you mean like dove dish liquid or powder that you would use for dishwasher?
Thanks for your help!
sent you an email! Yay! Glad the blog post is going to help! – Sara
I have the same question 😊
what’s your question?
Hi there, I’m so glad I have found this post as I’m about to dye my outdoor furniture cushions!! I have some questions that I would appreciate your advice, and the same as the questions added previously. Is that pot with the 7 bottles in total to do all the cushions? And did you do one cushion at a time? Many thanks 😊
I used a huge pot to do all the cushions at once. If you do not have a really big pot, you could do one at a time – but I would suggest to set a timer and dye each piece for the exact same time. Since I used a huge pot, I did use all 7 bottles at the same time.
Hi, I have ugly bright green covers and want to dye them a dark grey/black. Would you suggest bleaching them white first?
Hi there – I would recommend reaching out to Rit Dye – info@ritdye
Sara
OMGOSH!! I was just thinking about doing this, and wondering if it works? Thank you so much!! I want to replace all my cushions as they are super faded. Question – my covers are a bit older, and are a faded tan – lighter than latte color. Do you think if I dye the navy blue I would need to lighten them more ahead of dying or try it as is? I am thinking the navy will be so dark, it will be fine? I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Holly – I would recommend reaching out to Rit Dye, they are awesome at helping with these types of questions. info@ritdye.com
Is that pot with the 5 bottles of frost grey and 2 of graphite to do all the cushions? Better to do one cushion at a time? Also – when you say dish detergent – do you mean like dove dish liquid or powder that you would use for dishwasher?
I did use all of those bottle in one pot – but used a HUGE pot! I only dyed 6 cushion covers… you want to do it by weight to figure out how much dye/water you need. I was able to do my covers in the HUGE pot. But depending on how much fabric you are dyeing will depend on how many batches you dye.
You can always reach out to Rit Dye as well…. info at ritdye dot com
I wanted to recover my cushions from a set I had bought a few years ago for about $500. The orange fabric had faded to a peach colour and looked awful. I called several reupholster places and they wanted $1400-1600 to redo the cushions in a sunbrella fabric!!! I redid them following your instructions and they are a deep orange again! I am waiting on Amazon to deliver the fabric protector so all in all I have new cushions for $45. !!! Thanks for saving me so much money!
My swing cushions do not come off. Is it possible to still dye them?
Hi pam – no, you would not be able to dye without taking the cushion off. – Sara
I have 7.5 pounds of covers so need to dye them in 2 batches. Can I re-use the water and dye from the 1st batch for the 2nd lot, or do I need to start again with new water and dye?
you should be fine using the same water/dye bath…
Did you put all the cushion covers into the pot at the same time? Or did you do batches?
I did two batches – it all depends on hte size of the pot. I had a huge pot, so two batches worked. You want to make sure that you can stir the fabric freely around the pot.
I have 5 seat cushions that are 25″X 25″ square. They were a crimson red but sun has faded it over time and I want to re-dye. Will I be able to get them all in the pot, or will I have to do this twice? Also what do you do with the dye water when I’m done? Is it safe to dispose of it down the sink?
I would for sure recommend to do it in two batches. You want the fabric to move around the pot/dye bath . If it is too full, you will get a splotchy result. You can pour the dye bath down the drain, it is non toxic.
Very helpful tips! I think I’ll use my boil pot with the propane and do everything outdoors to avoid dye disasters in thr kitchen.
You said that you rinsed the covers in your stainless steel sink. If you don’t have a stainless steel sink, will the dye stain your sink? I have a white porcelain farm sink and am worried about staining. thanks!
I think you would be fine.
Do you recommend dying over painting?
I have not painted fabric cushion covers before…. so hard to answer. I’m sorry!