Primitive folk art dolls get their aged, antiqued look by tea staining or coffee dying the fabric they are made with. I prefer to work with undyed muslin fabric when making primitive dolls because it already has a bit of a primitive texture and color to it, and it absorbs the tea or coffee nicely. The muslin can either be dyed before or after you start making the doll. I find that doing my dying after the doll has already been constructed is easier, so that is the method I am doing to describe.
Tea staining is the less extreme of the two methods – it will give you lightly stained, yellowish-brown areas on your fabric. I create my tea dye by adding 1 tea bag to half a cup of water and letting it brew for about 10 minutes. Then using an old sponge, I soak up some of the tea dye and blot it onto the doll. The more tea dye you use, the darker the stain will be. This process gets the doll fairly wet, so I bake it in the oven at about 200 degrees for a few minutes to dry it afterwards. Reapply additional coats of tea dye as necessary.
I prefer using coffee dye for my primitive dolls because it creates a darker, richer stain color that makes the dolls look more old than tea dying does. I create my coffee dye by mixing 5 tablespoons of instant coffee crystals in half a cup of hot water. Add a few drops of vanilla extract to for a great scent. To stain my dolls with the coffee dye, I use the same method described above for the tea dye – sponge-blotting the dye on and then baking the doll in the oven. You can also spray tea or coffee dye on with a spray bottle, or dry your dolls outside in the sun on a warm day.
Do you mean 5 CUPS of coffee crystals … or 5 tablespoons?
Oh my goodness, what a typo! I will fix that now, I meant tablespoons. 🙂
Hi there!
I would like to know if you can use fragrance oils that are used in making candles for different scents on fabrics? If you can, just a few drops also?
Thanks so much.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne – That’s a really good question which I unfortunately do not know the answer to. I have never tried that before. I tend to think that the oil would leave stains where it made contact with the fabric, but I am guessing.
Stephanie
Thanks soooo much for this tutorial! I love your tip about adding vanilla extract to coffee.
You are very welcome, Idgie.
Hi! Can you tell me how to remove the coffee odor after coffee dying a doll? I included cinnamon and vanilla, but the coffee odor has overtaken and it is a very strong smell even after 3 days. Should I rinse the doll, or does the odor tend to fade with time? Thank you!
Hi Kittye,
I never worried about removing the coffee odor, so I can’t really comment on that (sorry!). It was never strong enough to bother me, and fades over time.
Okay, thank you! Maybe I used some really strong coffee! Good to know it does fade over time. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for this tutorial!! It’s nice to find a simple one that’s easy to do!!!
You are very welcome, Sarah. 🙂
Will chenille fabric hold the coffee stain? I want to make a bench cushion. And can I wash the material after coffee staining? I have stained material for several crafts I have done but I cannot wash it or it gets blotchy. I usually dry my muslin material in the sun. Thank you! Your site is very helpful.
Hi Sandy,
I have no experience with chenille fabric, but I think it would stain the same as any other fabric. You definitely cannot wash it after staining, though, as coffee washes out at least partially in water (hence the blotches).
~Stephanie
Thanks so much for your prompt response! I will let you know how it works. I will be using it to make a cushion for a window seat.
I realize that this is a very old post…BUT…I am going to use coffee-dyed muslin dolls against very old fabric (handkerchiefs). Do you think the dolls will “bleed” onto the fabric?
Hi Amy,
I am not sure what you mean by “use coffee-dyed muslin dolls against very old fabric.” Can you be more specific? Is the old fabric going to become the dolls’ clothing? Will the dolls be wet or dry when they touch the old fabric?
Thanks for replying so quickly!
Yes…the fabric will touch the dolls, but only after the dolls are dry. I guess I was wondering if the coffee wears off or rubs off onto the fabric. The handkerchief will be her dress…
You are very welcome. 🙂
The coffe dye on the dolls would only transfer to the dress if the doll got wet. Otherwise, it does not rub off.
am making snowman out of socks could I dye the sock before I make the snowman with tea or coffee……thank you
Hi, I’m coffee dyeing banner to hang outside how do I keep them from not bleeding out thanks for your answer
I’ve also found that I can rub the fabric with cinnamon after coffee dying to give it a grunger look and a great scent.