DIY [dip dye ombre shower curtain]

Another DIY where the only skill involved is gathering the tools and committing to one hour of activity...or more like 30 minutes. D and I were in need of a shower curtain when we moved into our apartment in DC, but were low on cash. Naturally, we decided to turn a sheer Ikea curtain into a fun, bathroom-brightening shower curtain.

We used this dye from RIT, for $2.99 at any hardware store:

And these cheapy curtains, literally $8 for a pair (and we only used one because I think I lost the other):

The only other tool you need is a big pot, and you're in business.

Boil water and mix the dye according to the box instructions. Take a few minutes to decide what you really want- should the whole curtain be in varying saturation of color, or do you want it to fade to white? How wide should each swatch be? Do you want sharp delineation between shades, or more gradual ombre? The look you want will determine your technique.

I wanted a gradual, even fade to white, which was easy to accomplish. Dip the bottom 2/3rds of the curtain into the dye as briefly as possible. The color you have is the lightest you can get without the added hassle of diluting the dye in another pot. If you have steady hands, you can slowly pull the curtain out, understanding that the longer the curtain sits in the dye, the deeper the color will be. I instead dunked the fabric up and down slightly, as I didn't want any harsh lines between saturated hues. When done, rinse thoroughly, allow to dry completely, then put through the wash. This way you know the color won't run- just make sure to send it through a cycle solo.

I've definitely seen worse, and for $4, it was a low commitment and a fun first exposure to dye. I ended up using orange ribbons to attach the curtain to the plastic rings that held up the interior shower curtain, like so:

We never had any issues with this- it stayed clean, probably as it almost never got wet, and didn't wrinkle or lose color in the two years we lived there.

It also helps that I was able to find a cigar box collection in matching orange and yellow. After our dark blue bedroom, having a bright bathroom was so cheery and a nice contrast.