A few years ago, I had to plan my sister’s kitchen tea party and was struggling to think of an original idea for the party favors to give to the ladies. When I found this great DIY idea, I thought this would have made a great gift. I also believe it would be perfect for linen tea towels as I don't really use place mats at home. This would also make a great house warming gift or wedding reception decor! I really love the ombre affect (that is all the rage at the moment.) The texture of the linen looks really pretty, and each placemat has it’s own unique look.

All you need is for this project is:

• Heavy weight linen tea towels
• Fabric dye
• Soda ash and salt
• Plastic tub
• Two plastic cups
• Two wood craft sticks
• Plastic spoon
• Measuring spoon (do not use utensils also used for cooking with dye)

Instructions:

Combine 2 teaspoons of dye & a small amount of water in plastic cup. Stir with wood stick to create a paste and completely dissolve dye (this step prevents “freckles” of undissolved dye on finished piece.)

Combine dye mix with about 8 cups of water, ½ cup salt, and 2 tablespoons of soda ash in the plastic tub. (Or follow more precise dyeing instructions on the Dharma site.) Stir with plastic spoon until everything is completely dissolved.

Hold placemat above plastic tray and lower one end into dye bath, keeping as straight as possible. Submerge about 2-3 inches and let dye penetrate for a minute.

Remove fabric and set on a piece of plastic to dry. The dye will continue creeping up the fabric a bit while drying.

Complete tutorial found here at designlovefest.