Shibori DIY

Shibori is everywhere these days but the truth is it has been around for centuries.  At its core, Shibori is a Japanese manual resist dyeing technique, which produces a number of different patterns on fabric. 

Here are a few of our favourite examples of it used in home decor.

We tried our hand at a DIY Shibori using a pre-reduced indigo kit.  The Kit we purchase was from G&S Dye and contains:

  • Pre-reduced Indigo 
  • Thiourea Dioxide 
  • Sodium Carbonate 
  • Raycafix Dye Fixative 
  • T.N.A. Soap 

You will also need:

  • Fabric
  • Elastics
  • Clothes pegs
  • Stir Stick
  • Rubber Gloves

Here is how we pulled ours together

1. Wash fabric with 1 /2 oz of T.N.A Soap to remove dirt and sizing from the fabric. *Use water that is 60-70ºF (20-24ºC) 

2. Mix the following in about 3-5 L of water (you can mix less if you are only doing a small amount of fabric) and wait for the foam to settle. Use a stir stick and wear gloves, this stuff stains!

  • 20gm Pre-reduced Indigo 
  • 80gm Thioureadioxide 
  • 100gm Sodium Carbonate 

3. Tie your fabric in your desired pattern. We looked to Creative in Chicago to inspire our folding patterns.

4. Remove and hang to air dry. Your fabric will oxidize and change from green to indigo blue. Repeat dipping 2-3 times for a deeper shade.

  1. Untie or unclip your fabric after about 1 hour and let it hang to dry further.
  2. Rinse in clean water until all the blue dye runs clear. 

We’d love to see your DIY Shibori. Share your results with us @si_and_oui on Instagram.


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