Stunning Outdoor Sofa Refresh With Shibori (Indigo) Dyeing.
One of my favourite places in the summer is the outdoor sofa in my back garden. When l get 10mins to myself I love to just lounge on it sipping cocktails and flicking through interiors magazines and looking at my beautiful upcycled planters (see here).
My sofa is an Ikea Ammero which has lasted really well considering it's had to put up with the unpredictable British weather for 7 years. However, even though I store away the cushions in the winter they were looking rather grubby and ready for a refresh.
That's when I decided to give them a dramatic make over by Shibori dyeing them.
Shibori dye is an indigo dye tie-dye that comes in a really easy-to-use dye kit (available on Amazon). You just make up the dye in a large bucket.
To achieve a nice tie dye pattern on my sofa cushions. I folded them up in an accordion style fold and then held them in place with elastic bands. (more details on the blog). The kit comes with lots of instructions showing how different ties achieve different results.
Before dipping the tied up cushion covers in the dye they were soaked in water and then added to the dye. With Shibori dying the longer you hold the fabric in the dye the darker the blue. I wanted a lighter blue for my sofa so only held the cushions in the dye bucket for 1 minute.
The covers look a bit strange when they first come out of the dye as they are green. But no need to panic, they do change to blue as the dye reacts with air and oxidizes.
After 20 mins in the sun when the dye is fully oxidized I untied the cushion covers to reveal the patterns.
The covers were then rinsed and put in a gentle wash in the machine to remove any excess dye. More details on the blog.
You will have plenty of dye left over to dye more things. I invited my crafty friends around the next day for a Shibori dyeing party. Where we dyed some pillow covers, a skirt and a duvet cover plus some socks!
I just love how the sofa looks now the Shibori dyed cushions really brighten up my back garden.
The Shibori sofa goes really well with the beautiful blue Moroccan Style Pallet Planter (see it here) I have also just made for my back garden.
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Comments
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Katen on May 28, 2023
Dye job looks nice. The cushions are so flat looks like sitting on a bed of nails. I refreshed padding when I recovered my sofa cushions and added a zipper for regular washes.
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Claire at Pillarboxblue on May 28, 2023
Thank you 😊
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Claire at Pillarboxblue on Feb 26, 2024
Thank you. The green fabric is the same as the blue; that's just a stage it goes through as it oxidises.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I really like this, but, does the dye come off on your cloths like RIT dye???
Hi is that an outdoor rug? I really want one but am at a loss where to get one that doesnt cost the earth here in London!
Do you have to rinse with vinegar water to set this dye like the other dyes?