How to Kool-Aid Dye Wool

Marie Overton
Feb 18, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Apr 11

It is common knowledge that if you spill Kool-Aid on your clothes it stains. I like to use this color-changing characteristic for my benefit. I can often find Kool-Aid packages for a good deal making it more cost-effective than buying fabric dye. Also, my kids have so much fun helping me to choose which flavor — err, that is to say, color — to use. It’s hard to top the ability to describe your sweater color to your friend as Sharkleberry Fin. A fun little bonus: The Kool-Aid dyed wool keeps the scent for the first little bit. I also really like to see just what color it comes out to be.

The supplies needed for this project are a scale, hot water, cold water, wool, a stir stick, two jars, a drying rack and a towel

The first step is to measure out 1 ounce of wool and put in in a jar. Add cold water until it covers the wool. If the wool floats you will need to submerge it with the stir stick. Once it is immersed in cold water allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

Copper kettle pouring water into a glass jar on a speckled countertop. A spatula and jar with pickled vegetables are nearby. Rustic feel.

While the wool fiber is soaking take your other jar and fill half the jar with hot water. Be sure it is not so hot that it will break your jar.

A person in an apron adds liquid from a yellow-labeled container into a jar with red liquid on a granite countertop beside a spatula.

Add the Kool-Aid packet to the hot water and stir.

Two glass jars on a granite countertop, one with red liquid and wool being dipped, the other with clear liquid and wool. Person's hands visible.

Once the 5 minutes has elapsed, take the wool out of the cold water gently squeezing the water out as your remove it. Place it directly in the hot water/Kool-Aid mixture.

Teapot pouring water into a red liquid-filled mason jar on a granite countertop. Another empty mason jar is beside it. Warm kitchen setting.

Pour in more hot water until the wool is covered.

Allow the wool to sit in the Kool-Aid for an hour or more.

Red yarn being dipped into a clear jar of water on a gray towel; a beige apron is visible in a kitchen setting.

After the hour, you can see that the color has been mostly absorbed by the wool and the water is almost white.

Hands dye red wool in a jar with pink liquid on a gray towel. Background includes a kitchen sink.

Pull the wool out of the water squeezing gently to get out the excess water and place it on a drying rack.

Hands arranging red wool fibers on a wire rack over a grey towel. Background shows a kitchen counter. Shirt has partial text: "Mad".

You could just use a towel but would have to flip it regularly to expose the wet areas. If you fluff it up it will dry faster. The most dense areas will have less color absorbed in. If you do not like this try to separate them when putting them in the Kool-Aid. I actually really like the varied coloring. I feel like it adds character to my yarn. Often, this becomes unnoticeable after the carding process as I am preparing to spin it.

Kool-Aid Tropical Punch packet on red and white wool with a copper kettle and glass jar in a rustic kitchen setting.

After it is dry it becomes fluffy and you can see the true color. Tropical Punch didn’t disappoint me. It made a nice red wool for me to use. Experiment with your own flavors/colors.