Decorating With Dye
Old furniture, unfinished wood pieces as well as wicker can be refurbished instantly to look like treasured country classics. Fabric dye is an inexpensive and easy way to stain furniture a wonderful country color like faded blue or red found on early American pieces. Give a hand rubbed look to kitchen chairs, a dining table, an armoire or coffee table. Once you've applied the color you can add a decoration such as a stenciled design in another color. Tips For Dye Staining: l. Whenever possible, use unfinished wood or wicker. 2. If you are dyeing an old piece of furniture, completely strip away all paint, varnish or other finish. 3. Sand the surface of the wood until smooth and wipe clean. 4. Pine, oak, walnut, cherry and balsa all absorb the dye beautifully. Pine shows the truest stain colors. 5. To make the wood more absorbent, wet the entire piece with a water soaked sponge before applying the stain. 6. Mix 1 part hot water to 2 parts liquid dye. Test the color by applying, it with a sponge brush to a hidden area (such as the back or underside). 7. Use rubber gloves and brush the stain in one direction onto the wood. Cover all surfaces and let the stain dry to see the true color before deciding if the piece needs another coat. The dye will dry almost instantly . For best results keep the dye hot while you work. Note: If the wood is soft and quite absorbent, it may require several coats to achieve the desired results. 8. To finish the piece, apply a thin coat of satin varnish or polyurethane to all exposed surfaces. Let dry and apply a coat of clear furniture wax for a fine sheen. If you are planning to add a stencil design, do so before varnishing.
Stenciling With Dye 2. Tape the stencil in place on your furniture and paint the dye onto the cutout area. Use a new stencil for each new color. Since the dye is not opaque the color behind the stencil will show through, giving it a faded appearance. This is in keeping with the country look and your piece will at once add character to any room.
Copyright Leslie Linsley, author
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