How to dye your crinoline

As a wedding photographer with an affinity for details, I absolutely love seeing and photographing the unexpected. A bright colored crinoline is no exception! Some of you may remember Heather, the gorgeous DIY bride who dyed her crinoline hot pink while on spring break. Isn't it fabulous?! This image made it to her storybook album as well as one of my sample albums.


Before you begin, you need to choose your color! RIT offers 26 colors of dye. I personally love Fuchsia 12, Sunshine Orange 43, Tangerine 40, and Aquamarine 24. (Aquamarine 24 would be a perfect addition to the poppy and aqua wedding I am dying to shoot.)

Since crinoline is fairly large and fluffy, it is best to use the washing machine method for this project. You should use either 2 bottled of liquid dye or 4 boxes of powder dye when dyeing your crinoline.

1. Fill your washing machine with enough hot water for the fabric to move freely.
2. Add the dissolved dye to the hot water.
3. Wet your crinoline in a sink or the shower, then add the wet crinoline to the dye bath in the washing machine.
4. Set the washing machine for the extended cycle. Make sure the crinoline soaks for at least 30 minutes before the rinse cycle begins.
5. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear.
6. Hang to dry or dry in dryer.
7. Clean the washing machine by running a hot water cycle with bleach and detergent.
8. If the color is not bright enough for your liking, you can repeat the process!