Adding a personalized favor to a table setting not only makes your guests feel special, it makes for a great conversation starter. This DIY favor idea involves wrapping a selection of post-party goodies in a hand-dyed shibori napkin. Shibori is a Japanese term for methods of dyeing cloth by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, and compressing. Shibori dying sounds like it would be super difficult to do - I know I thought so before I tried! But it was so much easier than I expected.
First, mix the shibori dye (Thiox, indigo and soda ash) in a 5 gallon bucket according to dye kit instructions (I used Made Kits). Start with 4 gallons of water. Dissolve Thiox in a quarter cup water. Add to bucket & stir gently. Dissolve indigo in a quarter cup of water, add to bucket & stir gently. Dissolve soda ash in 2 cups of hot water, add to bucket & stir gently in a circular motion in one direction for a few minutes. Then reverse for a few more minutes. Cover your bucket tightly with a lid and let sit for 1 hour.
After the dye has rested (sealed) for 1 hour you will see a greenish cluster of bubbles and reflective film on top. This is called "the flower". Gently scoop and put aside in a small dish with a small amount of liquid. Put it back into the vat after dying if you want to keep the vat going for more dying.
Safety Tip: Always mix and do dye work in a well ventilated area. Never reuse utensils or containers for eating. Always keep away from children & pets.
Prepare the napkins. Hand tie and clamp to create different patterns. I tried out traditional Japanese methods; Itajame (shape resist technique) and Kumo (twist & bind technique).
For Itajame, I accordian-folded the napkin and placed it between 2 DIY Unfinished Wood Banner Squares and held it in place with rubber bands.
For Kumo, I wrapped a napkin around stones and tied off at the bottom of the stones with rubber bands. I also tied smaller folds on napkins with just rubber bands, clothespins and metal clips.
Tip: Use natural fibers or pre-wash fabrics.
Once the napkins have been tied, put on gloves again. Dip the napkins in water, thoroughly wetting them. Wring out excess water.
Next, dip the napkins into the vat of dye. Work the dye into the fabric for approx 5min.
When you pull them out they'll be a yellow-green color. When they hit the air they will start to turn blue.
You can re-dip them to get a darker indigo hue. Let them oxidize in air for approx. 15 min. before another dip.
Once dyed, allow the pieces to dry and set for a few hours. I left mine overnight.
Once dried, rinse the dyed napkins in clean water, removing the extra dye.
Next, cut off the rubber bands, remove boards, clothespins and clips.
Hang the napkins out to dry and fully oxidize for approx. 24 hours.
The final designs differ based on your technique. The reveal of these designs is my favorite part, oh and the fact that there is no wrong way to shibori dye! Each napkin will be unique and beautiful.
The board technique results in larger squares of white. The clothespin and clip napkins have a beautiful series of white dashes.
The rubber band ties give you small tie dye circles over the darker blue napkin. These are larger when you use the stones before tying off with rubber bands.
Next, lay each napkin out flat. Put the favor items in the center of the napkin.
I choose a fun color coordinated can of bubbles, candy, and a pair of nomad shades for sitting outside.
I also added a little whimsy; a candy bracelet and fun summer fruit accents - an eraser and pencil sharpener.
Next, fold each corner of the napkin up towards the center. Then, fold the resulting 4 corners upwards to the center.
To secure, cut one of the Gold Round Napkin Rings and wrap the ring around the neck of the bunched napkin.
Next, loop a Gold Thank You Favor Tag around the napkin ring. The favors are now ready to be placed at each place setting.
Your guests will love the personal touch of a hand crafted and sustainable napkin wrapped gift. Why not try out the same technique to create runners, cushions and more!
Check out my Summer Shibori Tablescape for more ideas and inspiration when hosting a summer dinner party.