Use rainbow lollipops in a whole new way by dyeing silk. And yes, candy really can be used to dye silk fabric and it's surprisingly easy to do. Learn the basics of how to dye silk and how using swirl lollipops can create a fun tie-dye effect.
Combine two parts water to one part vinegar in a bucket. Then soak the silk fabric for at least 10 minutes.
Squeeze out the water so the fabric isn’t dripping wet, but still damp. Then place it into a microwave safe dish. Remove any air bubbles from under the fabric by pushing the bubble out to the edges.
Unwrap all of the lollipops you would like to use.
Start arranging the lollipops onto the wet silk.
Leave the lollipops on the silk for 5 to 10 minutes. If you want to check on them, carefully lift one of the rainbow suckers up to see if you like how it’s looking. If you want a more vibrant color, leave them on for longer.
Once you feel good about the colors, flip the lollipops over and onto more blank white space on the silk. It can also be good to push onto the back of the candy to make sure it’s completely touching the silk fabric.
After you have enough prints from the food coloring, cover the dish in plastic wrap and microwave for 1 to 3 minutes on increments of 30 seconds to 1 minute. Heating the fabric and dye sets the dye into the fabric so that it won’t wash out and the dye won’t bleed.Be careful not to burn the fabric like I did.
Once the dye has set, rinse it out. Keep in mind since the fabric is covered in sugar, it will stiffen up under cooler water. Don’t worry, it will soon wash out and the fabric will soften up. You can also use a mild soap to get any last bit of candy out.