Tropical Bath Towels

Bring a touch of the tropics into your home with bright bath towels.

white 100% cotton bath and hand towels, washcloths
Rainbow Rock Dazzle Dye (Orange, Fuchsia, Purple, Turquoise)

Rainbow Rock Batik Pak
Rainbow Rock spray tops
stamp (discontinued: jagged spiral)
rubber or latex gloves
plastic margarine lid to use as a palette
white paper towels
plastic apron or cover-up
plastic pail or dishpan
plastic wrap
1-cup table salt

Tip: Always wear gloves when working with dye and work on plastic-covered surfaces.

Steps:

Spray-Dyed and Stamped Towels

1. Soak the towels for 20 minutes in a fixer solution of five packets soda ash (one tablespoon each) and one-cup salt to one gallon of water. The solution can be saved, covered and reused.
2. Spread towel out flat on a plastic-covered piece of cardboard. Place the stamp in one corner and shape the towel into a folded fan. Remove the stamp and spray the high folds orange. Spray the dye from one angle, and then the opposite so that the dye will land on both sides of the fibers.
3. Refold the towel so the white areas become peaks and spray them fuchsia. Allow the two colors to overlap and mix at the center of the towel.
4. Spray the top of the fanned edge purple.
5. Wipe the over spray around the towel and pull the pleats open. Squirt about one tablespoon of dye thickener on a margarine lid. Squirt one tablespoon fuchsia dye and mix together with the thickener. Do the same with the purple dye. Paint the dye thickly on the stamp (both fuchsia and purple next to each other) and stamp the towel (practice first on paper towels).
6. Let it set for four to eight hours (or longer), and then rinse with several changes of water. Wash with non-bleach detergent to remove the rest of the dye (separately the first few times to make sure all of it is out).

Solid-Colored Towels

1. Put the towel in the washer. Set it to warm at the lowest water level on the longest cycle.
2. Stop the washer when it stops filling. Temporarily remove the towel. Fill the dye bottle with warm water; replace cap and shake gently to mix.Put in the washer along with 1/4-cup table salt and two small bags of soda ash fixer. Stir it all together .
3. Place the towel back in the washer, close the lid and set to agitate. Be sure to stay close because it will probably start to empty after about seven minutes. It should agitate in the dye for twenty minutes so reset the dial as necessary.
4. Stop the cycle and leave the towel in the dye for an hour, and then let the washer finish.
5. Run another whole wash cycle with any non-bleach detergent. Once done, check the inside of the machine for any remaining dye and wipe it with a sponge.