Shibori comes from the Japanese word shiboru, which means to press, to squeeze and to wring. It's considered one of the oldest indigo dye techniques in Japan, and today shibori continues to use a variety of folding, twisting and binding methods to create unique indigo patterns. So why do we care? Glad you asked! Shibori accents make beautiful additions to any table setting. Seriously – you'll be obsessed! Follow along to learn how to do it.
Lay a dampened item out flat on your work surface. We used our DIY White Tea Towels to make our napkins, but these techniques can be used on all sorts of fabric items: t-shirts, table runners, scarves, etc. The first step is to accordion fold the fabric from the bottom edge up to the top of the napkin, creating even folds. This step is the basis for all the shibori dying techniques shown here.
Starting on one end of the folded napkin, accordion fold it again in the other direction, creating triangle shapes until you reach the other end.
Sandwich the folded triangle between two Jumbo Craft Sticks at each of the corners and secure with rubber bands.
Follow the directions on the package of the Tulip® One-Step Shibori Tie Dye Kit to finish the napkin. This technique will create the pattern shown in the picture. Isn't it beautiful?
For the next style, follow the accordion folding directions in step one, and then wrap a rubber band tightly around the folded fabric. This will hold your folded fabric securely in place.
Follow the directions on the package of the Tulip® One-Step Shibori Tie Dye Kit to finish the napkin. This technique will result in the gorgeous pattern shown in the picture. So pretty!
To create the third look, follow the accordion fold directions in step one. Starting on one end of the folded napkin, accordion fold it again in the other direction until you reach the other end.
Sandwich the folded triangle in-between two Jumbo Craft Sticks and secure with rubber bands.
Follow the directions on the package of the Tulip® One-Step Shibori Tie Dye Kit to finish the napkin. This technique will create the pattern shown in the picture. We love it!
To make the fourth look, follow the accordion fold directions in step one, but make the folds larger.
Place a DIY Unfinished Wood Banner Square on the top and bottom of the folded napkin. Secure the wood with rubber bands, running some rubber bands one way and some the opposite way to create a crisscross pattern.
To create the final look, follow the directions on the package of the Tulip® One-Step Shibori Tie Dye Kit to finish the napkin. This technique will create the pattern shown in the picture. Awesome!
To really step up the look of your fall table, try shibori dying cloth napkins and a table runner to use as accent pieces. You'll love the look and it's such a fun way to enhance the overall fall ambiance. Check out how we used these napkins and tablerunner in this Fall Chinoiserie Tablescape Ideas here.