Indigo Shibori

Transform fabric into custom textiles featuring patterns of rich royal blue and crisp contrasting white. Shibori is the ancient Japanese art of folding and binding fabric in different patterns, then dyeing in an indigo vat. The bound areas remain bright white while the rest of the fabric turns beautiful shades of rich royal blue. 

This kit has everything you need to create your own unique textiles, including bandanas to get you started, over 15 pieces to create different fabric manipulations, and all of the ingredients to produce an indigo dye vat. It comes in two sizes specially formulated to produce deep royal blue shades for maximum pattern contrast.

Small produces a one-gallon vat that dyes around three yards (one pound) of fabric and includes two bandanas. 

Large produces a five-gallon vat that dyes around 15 yards (five pounds) of fabric and includes four bandanas and additional resists (rubber bands, hemp twine, wooden craft sticks and squares, and clothespins for tying your fabric). 

Our step-by-step guide and accompanying video walk you through important details like how to:

• Mix the indigo dye vat
• Fold the fabric using shibori techniques
• Dye fabric to the perfect shade of indigo
• Care for the vat to continue dyeing until the indigo is depleted

Have fun creating unique wearable art! Go beyond the box by learning additional dyeing techniques and how to maintain your indigo dye vat to use again and again. 

This kit contains:

• White cotton bandanas
• Indigo pigment
• Calcium hydroxide
• Fructose powder 
• Rubber bands 
• Hemp twine
• Wooden craft sticks and squares
• Clothespins
• Our master indigo dye vat recipe
• Detailed instructions and hands-on video tutorials

Things you will need at home: 

• One-gallon/five-gallon bucket with a lid (or cling wrap)
• Additional bucket or large mixing bowl
• Protective face mask
• Rubber gloves
• Large spoon
• ½ cup white vinegar
• Additional natural fabric items to dye (optional)