How to Colour Fabric Flowers

As promised, this is how I colour white fabric flowers to match perfectly the colours of my project. You can use the same method to colour ribbon too. Best of all, it is very quick and easy!

What you need:

• plastic bag (I use a snaplock one, I think because that is what I had the first time I did this - but thinking about it, it probably isn't crucial to have the snappy lock bit! That said, a small clear bag is preferable to the supermarket bag variety).
• fabric flowers (or ribbon) - these ones are from the Pretties Kit
• a spray bottle with water (although I couldn't find mine this time so put a couple of drips of water in instead and it worked just fine)
• ink pad

Step One:

I turn the plastic bag inside out, put my hand inside, and then pat the bag on the inkpad, transferring ink to the bag. Keep in mind that depending on the colour of the ink, you may or may not be able to see the ink on the bag - hold it over a piece of white paper and this may help.

Step Two:
turn the plastic bag back in the right way and give it a couple of quick little sprays of water (or, as mentioned above, if you haven't got a spray bottle for water, I added a couple of drops off the end of my finger, and this seemed to work fine). You don't want a lot of moisture in the bag - just a bit to help the ink transfer evenly. When you have done this add the flower, and wriggle it all around in there. You don't have to put your hands in the bag to do this, just hold the flower through the plastic - I think I forgot to mention that not only is this quick and easy, but also clean!

To start off the colour may appear patchy, but just keep going until it evens out.

Step Three:

Remove the flower and set aside on a piece of paper, or a paper towel to dry off. Because we have only added a tiny amount of water, the flower shouldn't actually be that wet, so should only take a minute or two to dry off enough to use. If you are impatient like me, you could aways try drying it carefully with a heat gun for a couple of seconds. If the colour isn't as intense as you want you may need to repeat the process above.

The flowers in these photos are a pale pink that you won't be recognising

- fresh from an SU box - introducing...

Pink Pirouette - one of the new incolors that are headed our way!

It is so preeettty! Although I don't think it will seen within a mile of a boys project,

It is going to be just perfect for Bridie Isabelle. Luckily there are a couple of other new colours that will go well for the boys, so they won't feel left out at all.

Now my next challenge is to use these flowers on a project to share with you all

(you will notice I am not putting a timeframe on achieving that one!!)