Silk Dyeing Party!

What an atypical holiday party -- no low lights, no cool clothes, and no food! But what fun we had! Last year some other moms and I held a "silk dyeing party" to make play silks for our children for Christmas, and it was lovely!
I am a big fan of play silks, large squares of silk that children can use as capes, costumes, or drapes for play houses. These silks retail for about $10 each, but a few years ago I discovered that Dharma Trading sells plain white hemmed Habatoi silk scarves for as low as $3.50 each. I made a small investment in getting Procion dyes and the necessary chemicals (Turquoise, Fuchsia Red, and Lemon Yellow will give you all the colors of the rainbow if you mix them) and started vat dyeing my own scarves years ago. Then a friend told me about microwave dyeing, and the idea of having a scarf-dyeing Christmas party was conceived. (Check my blog here for instructions on how to dye in a microwave.)
So last year we held the party, and it was a fun evening that yielded many lovely scarves, including a Great Silk Rainbow made from nine yards of Dharma's 8 mm silk. And I couldn't resist photographing the scarves drying in the dishdrain. After being laundred, the colors were more delicate but still true.
We're holding our second annual party this year, and I'm looking forward to it. For a cost-effective stocking-stuffer that will enhance your young child's imagination, consider dyeing your own silks!