How can I dye something black without clothing dye?

I want to dye a skirt black, but don't have any dye. Is there any household product that I can use to dye it black? What about black shoe polish in water? I have no clue... I know for a fact that my mom won't let me buy dye, and she won't buy it for me. I need to have it done by Halloween.

Black shoe polish will rub off and ruin whatever you brush against while wearing the skirt. It's not worth risking your furniture and carpets. Anything that you use to color clothing, other than dye, will ruin the skirt. If you can't buy real dye, or buy a black skirt, you're better off skipping this project altogether.

If your skirt is already bad enough to throw away after a single use, then you can color it with paint or a permanent marker, but it will take much more time and cost more money than using dye, and the results will not look good enough to wear again except in a Halloween costume.

If your mother's problem with dye is only that she doesn't want you to use it in the washing machine, then you can buy a cool water dye from a crafts store, such as Procion MX Dye, Tulip One Step Fashion Dye, or Dylon Cold Water Dye, and apply it in a plastic bucket, following the instructions closely and stirring constantly. These fiber reactive dyes work very well on cotton, rayon, linen, silk, bamboo, and other natural fibers.

You can't buy a cool water dye in the grocery store, so you will have to buy it from a good crafts store. You can order excellent Procion MX dye from Dharma Trading Company online without using a credit card; just send them a check for the amount your order costs.


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[This answer was first posted, by me, on Yahoo answers, on September 20, 2008.]