Black tea is an ancient dye for colouring natural fibres. Depending on the concentration of the tea, the colour ranges from off-white to dark beige.
White fabrics that are to be dyed must first be washed so that no dust is trapped in the fibres. Then place the fabric in a large container. The container must be large enough to stir the fabric in the liquid.
For colouring, use 5 to 10 tea bags per litre of water, depending on the desired intensity. Tea bags are better than loose tea, as tea crumbs can get stuck in the fabric. For the coffee, use twice the amount of coffee powder as for a normal coffee to drink.
Pour the tea infusion into the container with the fabric so that it is well covered. The liquid should still be hot. Knead the fabric thoroughly in the liquid so that the tea water is evenly distributed everywhere. Wear rubber gloves as the water is still hot and the skin on your hands may also become discoloured.
The fabric remains in the tea dye until the desired colour intensity is achieved. Bear in mind that the fabric will become slightly lighter in colour as it dries out.
To test the colour intensity, you can blow dry a piece of the fabric with a hairdryer. If the colour is not dark enough, put the fabric back in.
Synthetic fabrics cannot be coloured well with tea water.
