Southern Arts and Crafts: Dyed Bindings.

So your old white or light colored bindings are dull, dingey, and boring now. Well, I experimented with dye and my Union Forces and this what happened. -Not claiming I am the first ever to do this or anything like that, but I couldn't find any youtube videos of it. They did not turn out the greatest but I still think they are legit and definitely one of a kind.

What you will need:
-Dye, color of your choice. I used Rit dye and ended up using the whole box. Note: Higher concentration of dye in the water, the darker the result.
-A pot, tub, sink, container, large enough for one binding or two or a combination of parts.
-Bindings obviously. White will dye best, grays or tans will work. The darker the binding the less likely the color will dye in.
-Tongs, to get bindings and pieces out of the dye without dyeing or burning yourself.
-A stove.
-Towels or old rags to wipe up spills.
-Tunes, good vibes, friends, drinks, fun, etc.
-And time, it does take awhile in total.

Observations I made - Glossy plastic dyes less, if at all. Highly worn areas will dye, even on metal. Softer plastic seems to dye the best. And, you can throw in a shirt to tie dye, sadly I thought of that after I drained all my dye.


My choice of dye.


Step 1. Remove bindings from board, and clean them alot!


Get a test piece.


Step 2. Boil water and dye. Let it cool to where it is not boiling anymore and put piece in. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. My test piece came out pretty dark. *Notice I use the tongs, obviously the water is hot, don't be stupid - be safe.


Meanwhile, fill up your sink/container/bucket/etc. with warm water and make sure you bindings are clean as can be. The cleaner the better.


Step 3. Pour in the hot dye and submerse the bindings and parts desired.


My sink was not deep enough so I had to flip the bindings every so often. Let soak for 10 or more minutes.


Step 4. Remove bindings, pieces, and parts from dye with tongs. Rinse and clean off dye as best as you can and set out to dry.


And the finished product.



Use your judgment, be safe, and have fun. Creativity is limitless.