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I’ll show you how to dye coffee filters with either food coloring or RIT dye, whichever you have on hand. This way is super easy and only takes about 30 minutes. Dyed coffee filters can be used to make beautiful flowers, wreaths, garland, or whatever your creativity allows!
I am on quite the Dyeing streak this month. Quite frankly, I have felt more like a scientist than a crafter lately. I’ve spent quite a few hours in the kitchen mixing up color concoctions in search of the best way to dye clothespins, and now the best way to dye coffee filters!
Dyed Coffee Filters Can be Used for Many Things
Once I show you how to dye coffee filters with food coloring or RIT dye, you will be searching for creative things to make with the beautiful bright colored filters. We made red, white, and blue dyed coffee filter flowers to add to these Patriotic Mason Jars.
Dyed coffee filters can also be used to make wreaths, garland for the home, and holiday decor. They make make beautiful and affordable DIY wedding decor as well!
The Best Method for Dyeing Coffee Filters
It’s really very easy to dye coffee filters with food coloring, and as I scoured the web for tips and tricks, I commonly read that it takes hours for the dyed coffee filters to dry (like 12-24 hours!). I found this to be completely untrue, and in fact, placing them in the sun dried them up in FIVE MINUTES!Â
You can use either RIT dye or food coloring to dye coffee filters and since I only had red food coloring and blue RIT, that is what I did. The method for dying the coffee filters with each was exactly the same, but I found that the RIT dye gave a darker color quicker, so keep that in mind.
You will only need a few supplies to get started. So grab some coffee filters, water, food coloring/RIT, and a glass bowl and I’ll show you the best and easiest way to dye coffee filters for flowers, wreaths, or whatever you can craft up!
Be Careful when Dyeing Coffee Filters Since the Dye Will Stain
If you are concerned with your fingers getting colored, you should definitely wear gloves or use some sort of tool to handle and separate the dyed coffee filters. If your like me and don’t give a s**t because your hands are always covered in some sort of craft thing anyways, don’t worry the color comes off fairly quickly. If you need it off sooner, my trick is to wash your hands with Ajax or Comet and your good to go.Â
With that being said, make sure to protect your table area because food coloring and RIT dye will color more then just coffee filters, they will certainly dye your work surface if your not careful. If the color does happen to get on your surface, same rules apply….Ajax or Comet ASAP!
This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a cent more!)
Supplies Needed to Dye Coffee Filters
- Coffee Filters – (however many you need for your project)
- Food Coloring or RIT Dye
- Water
- Glass bowl (any container that won’t dye or you don’t mind getting dyed)
- Drying Rack
How to Dye Coffee Filters with Food Coloring or RIT Dye
Follow the below easy steps to get perfectly dyed filters every time!
Fill a glass bowl or container with enough hot water to fully submerge the coffee filters
The water does not have to be boiling, just hot from the tap works fine. The temperature helps to better dissolve the colored dye.
Add coloring
DO NOT add all of these. These are the amounts you will use for each method depending on which you choose to do.Â
- Â 15-20 drops of food coloring
- 2 tsp powder RIT dye
- 3 tbsp liquid RIT dye
Stir to mix color thoroughly
Use a stainless steel utensil (so it doesn’t get stained) to mix the colored dye evenly with the water until fully dissolved. The food coloring tends to pool into droplets and will leave colored speckles on your filters unless they are broken up and mixed in.
Soak coffee filters for 15-30 minutes
You can put as many coffee filters as will fit in your container, as long as they are fully submerged. The longer you allow them to soak, the brighter/darker the color will be.
Remove coffee filters from dye bath and allow to drip dry
I would suggest using a fork or tongs to lift the coffee filters out of the water, and allow to drip for at least a full minute before laying them out to dry. You can almost shake and shimmy them to try and remove as much excess water as possible.
Lay coffee filters out to dry fully
Carefully pull the filters apart and lay them in a single layer on a drying rack, or a cookie sheet with paper towels. If you place them in the sun as I did, they will dry in literally 5 minutes. The coffee filters that I laid out that were not in direct sunlight took about 2 hours to dry fully.
Craft them into beautiful flowers, wreaths, or garland and enjoy!
Now that you know how to dye coffee filters with both food coloring and RIT dye,what are you going to craft up with them? Post your creations in our Facebook Group and tag @Mandapandaprojects so we can see your amazing projects!
Until Next Time…
Stay Crafty San Diego!
Patriotic Mason Jars with Red, White, and Blue Dyed Coffee Filter Flowers
June 5, 2020 @ 6:31 am
[…] house, so I did some experimenting in the kitchen. Using both food coloring and RIT, I found the perfect way to dye the filters red, white and blue to make these beautiful patriotic coffee filter flowers (ok, well I […]