The Best Fabrics for Dyeing – 11 Options Explained

If you’re a beginner, the best fabrics for dyeing are 100% cotton or viscose (including rayon and bamboo). These fabrics don’t require heat, so you can take your time without worrying about controlling this variable in the dyeing process. They also absorb colors beautifully and predictably, so you’re more likely to have a successful dye project.

I’ll also explain other fabric options that you could consider. These are based on my years of experience dyeing fabric and clothes (including my wedding dress!) and teaching dyeing workshops in New Zealand.

Which fabrics can you dye?

100% Cotton (Woven fabrics)

Does it dye well?

Yes! Cotton is one of the easiest fabrics to dye and has the most dye options available, so it’s great for beginners. Woven cottons are perfect because their dense weave allows you to get lots of detail in tie-dye and resist patterns, it’s stable when wet, dyes predictably, and is hard to damage during the dyeing process.

Best dye to use?

Your options are flexible. They include Fiber-Reactive dye (for best results) as well as box dyes like Dylon, iDye, and Rit.

Beginner-friendly?

Definitely. Try dyeing a pillowcase and sheet set, some throw pillows, or a tote bag!

100% Cotton (knit fabrics)

Does it dye well?

Yes, like woven cotton, knit cottons are great for beginners. Cotton t-shirts are a good example. Knits are a little less dense than wovens so color transitions in tie-dye may be less crisp, but they still take dye wonderfully and suit beginners.

Best dye to use?

Use Fiber-Reactive dye for the best, fade-resistant results, or try a box dye like Dylon, iDye, or Rit.

Beginner-friendly?

Absolutely! Try dyeing t-shirts, hoodies, or even socks.

Silk fabrics

Does it dye well?

Yes. Silk fabrics dye into beautifully vibrant colors, and the sheen they have when they start is retained throughout the dyeing process.

Best dye to use?

Acid Dyes. Some colors can be achieved using fiber-reactive dyes, but it’s best to test first if you choose this route as the “color shift” can be significant. This means the color the fabric becomes is not the color the dye says it is. Certain chemicals within the dyes absorb and others don’t, so with some colors (especially non-primaries) you might dye, say, a black, only to discover that your project comes out scarlet. Or a bright red dye might skew orange. This doesn’t happen if you use acid dyes.

Beginner-friendly?

Dyeing silk is best attempted by someone with a bit of dyeing experience, especially if you’re aiming for a specific color. The dye process requires heat to set the dye, so if you’re unfamiliar with stovetop dyeing, try using fiber-reactive dyes (test first!) or choose a different starter project so you can familiarize yourself with the process.

Tips:

Silk can “shock” in the dye bath. This means major changes in temperature (hot to cold or cold to hot) can cause the fibers to react. Silk fibers can scrunch up and lose their shine. It’s not as common as it is with wool, but be sure to gradually increase and decrease the temperature of your dye pot so the gorgeous luster of the silk is maintained.

Viscose, Rayon, and Bamboo fabrics

Does it dye well?

These fabrics are all similar in composition, so you can treat them in the same way. They are excellent candidates for dyeing – they take colors beautifully, and their dye process is identical to cotton, so they’re perfect for dyers with less experience.

Best dye to use?

Choose a fiber-reactive dye for the best results, or try a box dye like Dylon, iDye, or Rit.

Beginner-friendly?

They’re nearly as beginner-friendly as cotton, with one exception: cellulose fibers such as these often get stiff and woody when they’re wet, in addition to being more delicate. Take special care when dyeing these items.

Tips:

You’ll need a larger dye bath than you think so viscose items can swim freely.

Wool fabric

Does it dye well?

Yes. Wool dyes brilliantly with the right dye, but it’s a delicate fabric that has a few special requirements. It can be permanently felted if the water is too hot or if it’s agitated too much in the dye bath, so it’s worth taking your time and proceeding with caution.

Best dye to use?

Wool dyes best with acid dyes, but you could try a box dye like iDye, Dylon, or Rit.

Beginner-friendly?

No. Wool requires heat to set the color, but can be easily felted, damaged, or fried if too much heat is applied. It would be best to save your wool dyeing project until you’ve done a few other projects and understand the workflow.

Tips:

Start your dye bath with room temperature water, add your wool to the pot, and allow it to heat up slowly. Once you’re finished dyeing, allow the pot to cool down before you rinse the wool to avoid shocking the fibers.

100% Polyester fabrics

Does it dye well?

While it’s possible to get a good result with polyester, it can be particularly difficult or even impossible to make it colorfast in some cases (colorfast means the color won’t wash out or fade). The key, as with all tricky fibers, is to test a swatch and see how the fabric behaves in your dye.

Best dye to use?

Disperse dyes are best for polyester but difficult to get and even harder to use. I have had good results with iDye Poly, and Rit makes a synthetic-specific dye as well.

Beginner-friendly?

If your fabric does work with iDye Poly or Rit, these are reasonably straightforward beginner dye methods. But disperse dyes are best reserved for a later project once you’re familiar with the process. They also require a well-ventilated area.

Fabrics that are blended with Polyester (greater than 20%)

Does it dye well?

If a fabric contains greater than 20% synthetic fabric, you’ll likely need to use a synthetic dye (see the section above) to dye it. This can contribute to how easy a fabric is to dye.

Best dye to use?

Stick with box dyes for fabrics like these – either Rit’s synthetic-specific formula or iDye poly.

Beginner-friendly?

These projects are reasonably straightforward for a beginner so long as you’re using a box dye and not too focused on achieving a specific shade. If you’re a complete beginner looking for guaranteed success, try cotton with fiber-reactive dyes.

Tips:

Not sure what your fiber content is? Do a burn test. Fabric with significant polyester content will roll up into a hard, black bead and smell plastic-y when burned. If this is the case, your fabric likely contains enough polyester that it will require a special dye.

Denim fabric

Does it dye well?

Yes. Denim is usually 100% cotton, so as long as yours is not a blend, it’s a great fabric to dye. Cotton fabrics take dye well, are stable when wet, and hard to damage during the dyeing process. They also don’t need heat to set the color, unless you’re dyeing denim black.

Best dye to use?

Fiber-reactive dyes are best for denim that’s 100% cotton. If you’re dyeing jeans that have a percentage of stretch, like elastane or lycra, the process doesn’t change. These stretch elements are usually less than 5% of the garment, so they won’t make a visible difference. However, if your jeans are a poly/cotton blend that’s greater than 40% polyester, you may wish to explore the polyester dyes mentioned above.

Beginner-friendly?

Absolutely. Whether you’re overdyeing a pair of blue jeans or trying to turn some white denim a fun shade of acid green, this is a great beginner project.

Tips:

Denim will absorb a lot of dye, it’s a heavy fabric after all. Be sure to measure your project by weight, allow plenty of time for pre-soaking, and manipulate the fabric while it’s wet in the dye to ensure even absorption.

Secondhand garments

Does it dye well?

In most cases, secondhand garments are a great place to find dyeable items, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you hit the thrift shops. Garments with visible stains will likely retain those stains through dyeing, and they also may have invisible stains that need to be scoured before dyeing. Wash in the hottest water possible with a strong clothing detergent for best results.

Best dye to use?

Look at the fabric composition for the garment and follow the recommendations according to fiber content.

Beginner-friendly?

Yes. Dyeing secondhand items is a great way to breathe new life into old clothes and try dyeing.

Tips:

Most garments that are made from natural fibers are still sewn with polyester thread, which may not absorb the dye. Look for a garment with less visible topstitching to keep these contrasting threads to a minimum.

Nylon fabric (and swimsuits)

Does it dye well?

Nylon does require heat, but the colors are vibrant and it’s difficult to damage nylon by overcooking it, so it’s a great dye project to try on the stove. Most swimsuit fabric is made of nylon, as are covered elastics, so this is a great experiment to breathe new life into an old suit!

Best dye to use?

Nylon is best dyed using Acid Dye. Box dyes may also be used but I have personally had limited success with those methods.

Beginner-friendly?

Absolutely. Nylon is a great introduction to stovetop dyeing.

Tips:

Your water only needs to simmer before you add the dye ingredients – you don’t need to achieve a rolling boil.

Blended Natural Fiber fabrics

Does it dye well?

In most cases, you can get a good result from dyeing blended natural fabrics, but ultimately it depends on the fabric composition and dye choice. It’s very important to test your dye on a swatch if you’re particular about the outcome of your dye bath.

Best dye to use?

Plant fibers like cotton and viscose dye best with fiber-reactive dyes, while animal fibers like wool and silk prefer acid dyes.

Beginner-friendly?

In most cases, a beginner could tackle a blended fabric for their first dye bath, but I do suggest you try dyeing a plant fiber using a plastic bucket before you progress to the stovetop. So perhaps save silk and wool for your second dye project.

Tips:

If your fabric is a blend of animal and plant fibers, you might find it useful to dye with both types of dye in two separate dye baths.

Quick Q&As:

What’s the easiest fabric to dye?

Cotton – both woven (like a pillowcase) or knit (like a t-shirt) are easy beginner dye projects. Even someone with no dyeing experience will be able to complete it successfully.

Why is cotton best for dyeing?

Firstly, its dye process doesn’t require heat, so you don’t have to worry about the sometimes-stressful variable of controlling temperature while you’re dyeing. This also means that you don’t need a special dye pot that can handle heat. A plastic bucket works just fine.

Secondly, cotton absorbs dye beautifully and predictably, meaning you’ll get a great result every time. It’s great for tie dyeing, has great color definition, and again – no heat required so you can go as slow or as fast as you like without messing anything up.

What fabrics are the hardest to dye?

Delicate fabrics like wool and silk generally require extra care and a delicate touch. These fabrics can be damaged during the dyeing process if they’re not treated carefully, so it’s best not to start with these as a beginner. As a rule, fabrics that are woven more loosely are also more likely to be damaged – usually snagged on a dye utensil. This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t try dyeing that cotton gauze you’ve been eyeing – rather it’s just a warning to take things slow.

Does polyester dye well? And what dye is best for polyester?

Polyester can be hard to dye. There are a lot of different manufacturing pathways for polyester, which at the highest level means some of them absorb dye well and others don’t. The best dye to use for polyester is called Disperse Dye, but these are extremely smelly and difficult to use in a home environment.

If you do a swatch test with iDye Poly or Rit’s synthetic formula and it works, then this is the easiest way to dye polyester. If not, this will be a very difficult and smelly process.

How do you prepare fabric for dye?

Clothing needs to be clean before you dye it – this means freshly laundered with detergent, even if you’ve bought the item new from the store. It may have chemicals still on its surface from the garment production process, not to mention oils from the hands of folks who have handled the item before you brought it home.

If you choose to wash your item on dye day, you don’t need to dry it. Damp items from the washing machine can go straight into a dye pot, but you should weigh the item before it’s washed to determine the amount of dye you need.

Should I bleach clothes before dyeing?

If you want to lighten a garment to remove stains, or lighten it to achieve more vibrant colors when dyed, then bleaching your clothes before dyeing is a good idea. But bear in mind that bleach can damage some fibers if it’s used in high concentrations or left too long, so avoid doing this to delicate fabrics like silk or wool.

What to read next:

This article was written by Kat Waters and edited by Sara Maker. It was published on the 9th of August 2022 and has since been updated.

Kat Waters (author)
Kat has been sewing since her feet could reach the pedals, starting with quilts she made with her mom and eventually graduating to garments. She now makes everything she wears, occasionally teaches classes, and shares her projects on social media. Highlights include her wedding dress, shoemaking, and a love for almost any fabric that comes in hot pink! Read more…