Asked on Apr 07, 2019

How can I cut pampas grass and dye it another color?

Liz Cairo-Eagan
by Liz Cairo-Eagan



  12 answers
  • Craft Invaders Craft Invaders on Apr 07, 2019

    Here's how one Hometalker coloured theirs

    https://www.hometalk.com/diy/craft/seasonal-decor/another-use-for-pampas-grass-fall-decorations-22334601

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Apr 07, 2019

    cut it off place grass to desired length place top of grass in lrg tub with food coloring in water alot for more colorful grass and let it sit how ever long to get color you want barely dipping for more pastel colors. remove gently from water/dye solution hang each piece upside down to dry thoroughly. Place in container/basket/vase or hang in bundles; to keep grasses from falling apart or further seeding you can lightly spray them with extra hold hairspray Aqua Net Super hold works well here's video on dyeing grasses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZbzOxLa5w

  • Deb K Deb K on Apr 07, 2019

    Hi Liz, cut the grass before it starts to grow back for the season, pick the area you want to cut and dye, then use some duct tape as close to the ground as you can and bind it together with the tape. once it's bound with the tape cut it off and the tape will hold it together for you to dye it., you could use florist wire as well and leave it on to hold it together after dying.


  • Put some food colouring in some water in a spray bottle. Put the nozzle on fine mist and spray until all the pampus grass is covered.

  • Jenna Lynn Nagy Jenna Lynn Nagy on Oct 05, 2019

    I think the food coloring idea would work perfectly!! Great idea!! I have a question to tag into Liz’s.. If I want to repel mosquitos on the patio area with fragrant lemon oil or citronella liquid (which they hate), could I pour some into a large vase, stick pampas grass in, and would the grass diffuse & spread the citrus smell? I cannot find this answer online anywhere. Usually people use teak sticks in a small bottle for a room size, but I was hoping for a larger-scale, all-natural, and BEAUTIFUL solution to my bug problem. Thanks!!

  • Jessica Perry Jessica Perry on Mar 21, 2020

    Hello,

    Do you know what’s the best way to give it that light white dyed effect?

    I have dark pampas but want to lighten them at home.


    is bleach good for this?

  • Mogie Mogie on Jun 26, 2020

    Aniline dyes work the best for dying pampas grass, and most companies offer colors in blue, yellow, red, purple, black and brown, with other colors available depending on the supplier.

  • Emmy Rechsteiner Emmy Rechsteiner on Sep 16, 2020

    Hi Jessica, serious question: did you ever find out how to lighten/make your pampas grass white?! No answers online! So crazy.

    • Kacie Kacie on Oct 16, 2020

      I just did this! I bought some dried pampas from Hobby Lobby but they were a dark brown/gray color and I wanted a nice light off-white. I also couldn't find anything online so I decided to wing it. I soaked them in bleach diluted with just a bit of water in my bathtub. I let them sit there for about 4 hours. They still looked dark but that's just because they were wet. Once they dried they looked so much better!! Not as light as I preferred and definitely not white, but much closer to what I wanted. I'm very happy with them! They fluffed out nicely and I sprayed them with hairspray to prevent shedding. Hope this helps!

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on May 13, 2021

    Hi, this in-depth article, written by the Dept of Agriculture goes into a lot of detail about dying plants - https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/nursery-cutflowers/bleaching-plant-foliage. There's so much valuable information that will help anyone wanting to lighten pampas grass.

  • Simple Nature Decor Simple Nature Decor on May 15, 2021

    Heat up water in a large pot and add your dye. We used about 4-6 tbsp of dye so that it would saturate the feathers well. Submerge your feathers in the dye and leave for about 10-15 minutes. Allow the feathers to dry completely and then gently re-fluff and hairspray.

  • If you want to bleach the pampas grass you could try this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq7g3ap1gzc

  • Simple Nature Decor Simple Nature Decor on Aug 16, 2021

    You can use RIT DYE