We put a bathroom in a store-bought shower curtain for a fun splash of color. This project is cheap:the shade is less than $20 and the tint is less than $5. You also won't have to invest a lot of time, as it took about an hour to make.
Cover your work area with a drop cloth. This project can get dirty and the stain will stain. Fill a large plastic container (or sink) with 1 to 2 gallons of water. Completely immerse the shower curtain in the water.
Remove excess water from the shower curtain, but keep the shower curtain damp. Set aside. Empty the water from the plastic container..
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Put on rubber gloves and shake the liquid dye according to the instructions on the bottle.
Pour half of the bottle of dye (or 1/2 cup) into the large plastic container.
Measure out a cup of salt. Pour it into the container along with 4 cups of very hot water that has just been boiled. Stir well with a metal spoon..
Add an additional two gallons of hot water to the container, along with a small capful of laundry detergent. Stir well.
Fold the shower curtain in half from grommet to grommet. Make sure the folded width fits easily into the plastic container. Thread a piece of twine through the grommets at the top of the shower curtain. This will ensure that the fabric stays even from the fold and will help maintain smoother lines with the dye.
Wrap the top of the shower curtain around the peg rod several times and hold firmly.
Begin lowering the bottom of the shower curtain into the dye bath. Lower it to the highest point where you want the tint to appear on the curtain. The shower curtain was left white at the top so it dipped into the dye bath about 12 inches from the top.
To achieve a very light color on top, leave top in for a few seconds or until desired color is achieved. Then take the top part out of the dye bath and rest on a tall standing object or hold it on its own. Continue doing this for the length of the curtain in 1-2 foot increments, lifting a new section up and out of the dye bath every 1-3 minutes to achieve the light-to-dark effect.
If an area has been left in the dye bath for too long and you are not satisfied with the result, immediately spray the area with water to try to even out the tone or lighten it.
Leave the bottom of the shower curtain in the dye bath for a total of at least 15 minutes for maximum darkness.
Squeeze excess dye from shower curtain and remove from dye bath. Carefully take the shower curtain to a sink and run cold water over the entire stained surface. Keep the lightest color closest to the water to make sure the dye flows from lightest to darkest. Continue until the water runs clear. Drain off excess water. Wash the shower curtain following the instructions on the dye bottle.
