How to Dye Cheesecloth for Newborn Photography Props

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw me dying a lot of cheesecloth last week! I had a very special newborn photography session last weekend and I wanted some new props to try out. But I had a budget! So, I thought  would make some myself.

If you do a search on Etsy for newborn photography props, one of the most popular props that comes up is cheesecloth wraps. They are being sold in a variety of gorgeous colors and the photograph amazingly. My problem? I waited too long to order and I knew I could do this myself. Cheesecloth is very easy to dye and doesn’t take long at all.

I made a trip to the craft store, loaded my basket with cheesecloth and dye, and got to work when I got home. I was amazed at how insanely easy this was! In under 20 minutes, I had to two gorgeous wraps hanging out to dry on my deck. I couldn’t wait to use them at my session with Jenni from Jenni from the Blog and the newest addition to her family, Emerson.

How to Dye Cheesecloth

Supplies

• Cheesecloth 
• RIT Dye
• Bucket
• Metal spoon

Instructions

1. Fill your bucket with water. I didn’t really measure it out, just filled it up! I then dumped all of the powdered dye into the bucket and mixed until dissolved. If using powder dye, make sure it is all completely dissolved or else your color will be blotchy.

2. Add your cheesecloth. It can either be wet or dry. You want to make sure that it goes in spread out and not clumped together. If you don’t, the color will be blotchy.

3. Let sit for about 5 minutes. If you want a deeper richer color, let it sit longer.

4. Rinse! When you have the desired color, rinse your dyed cheesecloth until the water runs clear. Do not wring it out! Instead, gently squeeze the excess water out.

5. Hang to dry! Spread your cheesecloth out and hang it to dry. It won’t take long.

6. Wash and dry again. Throw your newly dyed cheesecloth into a lingerie bag and wash on the delicate cycle. This will get rid of any excess dye left on the cheesecloth and also remove the smell of the dye {it’s quite stinky!}. Hang to dry again! You are now ready to use your new cheesecloth wraps.

You can view more photos from my session HERE!