Coco Belle Photography

Ombre means “to shade” in French, and is used to describe color gradients from light to dark. It took me awhile to get on the ombre train, but now it’s starting to grow on me. From wedding flower arrangements to nail styles and even to celebrity hair styles, ombre can be found everywhere. I have to admit, my favorite ombre finds are the colorful cakes! Can you imagine the effort and detail that goes into making all the beautiful layers of cake and frosting? What is your favorite ombre trend?

Flower Centerpiece * Nails * Anthropologie Shower Curtain * Wedding Cake * Laundry Baskets * My DIY Chandelier

I recently played around with some fabric dye and towels to make simple, monochromatic ombre towels for summer. The ombre dyeing technique can work on a number of materials, from cloth napkins to pillow cases to scarfs. Because these are easy to make in bulk, they’d be fun for party favors or shower gifts. Try blue for a nautical style, or play around with a couple colors for a unique ombre look!

Supplies:

• Flour sack cotton towels
• Fabric dye
• Salt
• Hot water
• Sauce pan
• Gloves
• Measuring cups
• Newspaper

Steps:

1. Wash towel to remove any finishes that may prevent it from absorbing the dye.
2. Layout newspaper on work area.
3. Wet towel with water and wring out any excess water. Fold towel in half so you have 2 long ends.
4. While wearing gloves, add 1/4 cup dye, 1/2 cup of salt to pan. Mix in 5 cups very hot water.
5. Dip the bottom 2/3 of the towel ends in the dye briefly. Soak the bottom 1/3 of the towel for about 10 minutes, gently moving it up and down to create a gradient. I recommend keeping one glove clean to hold the non-dyed portion of the towel.
6. Wring out the dye.
7.  Rinse off towel under cool water, holding the non-dyed portion at the top, allowing the dye to flow down through the darkest portion. Then rinse fabric in warm water, until the water runs clear.
8. Hand wash or machine wash fabric separately in warm water with detergent. Dry.

~Ashley at Coco Belle

ps… Be on the lookout for some portraits soon! April sessions are completely booked!!