DIY Dyed Ornamental Grasses are the perfect floral pieces to add to your fall decor.

I have an entire area that in my landscaping specifically dedicated to ornamental grasses.

Last year, I used every single stem of pampas I had on hand to make a giant Christmas tree.

This year, I have reserved all of the stems for my latest DIY.

DIY DYED ORNAMENTAL GRASSES!!!!

Super Easy!

You probably have everything you need already!

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Supplies

5 gallon Bucket

Hot Water

Rit Dye (I used wine and black in both the liquid form and the small box)

Various Miscanthus Varieties (dried grasses)

Clean Pruners

Plastic or drop cloth to protect your surfaces from Dye

Instructions

  1. Fill your bucket with hot water. For the smaller grasses, I only filled the bucket about 4 inches full. For the large pampas grass, I filled the bucket slightly over half way full.
  2. Add dye to hot water. For the wine dye that I used on the smaller grasses, I added 3 Tablespoons of liquid dye to the 4 inches of water. For the black dye, I poured the entire box of dye into the bucket.
  3. Place your stems into the bucket.
  4. Allow the grasses to sit for as long you as you desire. For one set of small grasses, I let them sit in the dye for an hour. On the next set of small grasses, I let them sit overnight. For the large pampas, I also let them sit in the bucket overnight.
  5. Once you are happy with the color, Carefully remove the grasses from the bucket and set them in a container. I used a cardboard box to prop them up. The grass will drip so you want to make sure that you don’t do this in your house or on pretty concrete. IT WILL STAIN. So do it somewhere where you don’t mind drips.
  6. Allow the grasses to dry out slightly, then shake them gently to remove any excess dye.
  7. Allow the grasses to dry thoroughly.
  8. Trim them to the size you want and arrange in your container of choice.

Photos of Process

miscanthus grass in a rock garden - J Dub By Design™
Here are some of the grasses in my rock garden.
cutting ornamental grass stems to be dyed - J Dub By Design™
Use clean snips or pruners to cut the stems. Cut them longer than you think you need.
several varieties of Miscanthus grass that have been cut and are waiting to be dyed - J Dub By Design™
Lay your grasses out to be dyed.
filling 5 gallon bucket with hot water - J Dub By Design™
Fill a bucket with a few inches of hot water.
5 gallon bucket filled with about 3 inches of hot water - J Dub By Design™
For the small grasses, I only filled the bucket about 4 inches high with hot water.
pouring rit dye in 5 gallon bucket - J Dub By Design™
Pour in a few tablespoons of dye to your personal preference.
wine Rit dye in 5 gallon bucket mixed with hot water -J Dub By Design™
I stirred the dye with a piece of my grass.
placing grasses in wine colored Rit Dye with hot water - J Dub By Design™
Add in all the grass to be dyed and let sit for a few hours up to overnight.
allowing wet dyed grasses to dry - J Dub By Design™
For the first batch, I only left the small grasses in an hour. Then I hung them over the side of a card board box to dry. Make sure to have plastic underneath to contain the drips. After they had dripped dried, I shook them gently to separate the fronds and allowed them to dry completely.

dye pampas grass drying out in cardboard box - J Dub By Design™
Here they are after completely drying.
several stems of pampas grass leaning in the corner of the garage - J Dub By Design™
Large cut stems of pampas waiting to dyed black.

large stems of pampas grass sitting in black Rit dye in 5 gallon bucket - J Dub By Design™
I left these stems in the dye overnight. I used an entire box of black Rit dye and filled my bucket with hot water slighting over half way full.
removing a stem of pampas grass from the black Rit dye mixture - J Dub By Design™
Follow the same process and remove the stems from the dye to allow them to drip dry and then gently shake them out.
Dyed Pampas grasss in wood vase sitting on dining room table - J Dub By Design™
Here are a few waiting to be trimmed and styled.
Close up of dyed ornamental miscanthus grasses - J Dub By Design™
A closeup of the gorgeous colors and textures.

This DIY is so simple and makes such a statement.

The longer you leave them in the dye, the darker they will get.

You will be driving around your neighborhood looking for grasses to clip.

Drop me a comment below and tell me what you think of my DIY Dyed Ornamental Grass Project!

Pin For Later!

Fall color on a console table and mirror outside - J Dub By Design™
Don’t forget to Pin the Project for Later!

Looking For Some Christmas DIY’s?

Check out my nutcracker napkin fold! Your kids, friends, and family will love the secret surprised stashed inside.

Create a one of a kind terrarium using a special ornament and a lantern or glass vase.

My DIY candle wraps take a white candle from plain to spectacular in just a few short minutes.

Need Some Gift Ideas?

Still Need More DIY’s?

Did you see my latest wreath DIY? This dried hydrangea wreath is the perfect fall accessory for your tablescapes, mantels, and front doors.

If you are looking for a furniture project, check out this nightstand that got a big time makeover.

Don’t forget to try my method to clean all your glass surfaces. You will never rely on Windex again.

Have you seen the DIY outdoor dining space I just completed?

My old and tired wooden table and chairs got a whole new lease on life!

Here’s another DIY furniture project where I also used wax. The finish is fabulous!.

Have you ever dried an artichoke? This DIY is so easy to complete. You will end up with the most gorgeous muted dried pieces to use in all your floral decor.

Do you want to create a beautiful moss wreath like mine? I have a tutorial! This would an excellent gift for that special lady for in your life.

Have you seen my Aged Pot Tutorial? It’s a great way to transform any piece of pottery into an aged antique beauty!

And, don’t forget my fig topiary is the perfect gift for your favorite gardener.

How About Some Recipes?

My stuffed olive sausage balls are a hit for any tailgate party this season.

Have you tried my Carrot Cake Banana Bread? It is outstanding – and you can leave it naked or ice it with my light vanilla cream cheese icing.

Strawberry White Chocolate Cookies anyone?

Try my Vanilla Pound Cake a la Darlene. My recipe makes a huge loaf cake that you can easily freeze for later.

My dill pickle dip is the perfect appetizer to serve at your next tailgate party

This creamy balsamic salad dressing will become your new favorite on all types of salads.

My Monterey Jack Salsa will be your next favorite dip this fall.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see all the daily happenings going on over at J Dub By Design™!