Can you dye jute?

DD53
by DD53

I purchased some jute placemats but they are a little lighter than I wanted. What can I use to add some darker gray tones to them? Can you soak them in tea or coffee? The material is very soft. How can I be sure they don’t fall apart? They seem to be sewed together pretty well.


  9 answers
  • 17335038 17335038 on May 16, 2021


    Is there any label on the mats indicating if they are 100% cotton? If so, then the fibres should take on a darker color if soaked in strong tea. If the braids or rolls are sewn together with thread, and not just glued, then I would not think that they will disintegrate if soaked in tea water.


    Please post a picture so that we can see what you have to work with.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on May 16, 2021

    Strong tea or strong coffee should stain them darker, you'd have to check them from time to time to get the color you want. They might fade with washings.

  • Jute is pretty porous so they should take stain well.

  • William William on May 16, 2021

    You can use stain, watered down paint. Coffee or tea could work.

  • Janice Janice on May 16, 2021

    You can easily change the color of the jute but if you are wanting a more grey color, you'd need to use paint or that color stain watered down. Remember, you're starting with a brown tone so it won't be a true grey when completed unless you go very dark grey.

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on May 17, 2021

    Hello. Spray paint might be an option. There’s also spray paints meant for baskets with a clearer opacity. Personally I would be concerned about soaking a woven placemat in that the water might loosen the woven configuration.

  • Maura White Maura White on May 17, 2021

    I'd use Rit dye and see how well it holds the dye. But if you do dye them, rinse well or next time they get wet, the dye may run.

  • Mogie Mogie on Mar 05, 2023

    To dye jute fabric, the fabric is first soaked in water for several hours. This helps the fabric to absorb the dye evenly. After soaking, the fabric is then dyed using either natural dyes or chemical dyes.


    Natural dyes can be made from plants, fruits, and vegetables. Chemical dyes are synthetic and provide a wider range of colors than natural dyes. After the fabric has been dyed, it is rinsed in clean water to remove any excess dye.


    The fabric is then dried in the sun or by machine drying.