Hi there!

In today’s post, I’m sharing a very new & unique project with you! Learn how & why I dip dyed my Chanel bag! The story below follows along with the video here on my IGTV! Watch the video for the backstory & to see the dip dying process, or continue reading below!

The Honeymoon Stage

Two months ago for my birthday, I bought myself a pink Chanel bag (the Canvas Large Double Face Shopping Tote) on consignment from Fashionphile. I saved for it for months, & was so excited to finally call this beautiful creature mine! Below is a photo of me just days after my birthday, happy as a clam with my new Chanel pal lol.

The Incident

About a month after my birthday, I was in an advising meeting at school, wearing a brand new pair of dark wash jeans. I had the bag on my lap, and I did not think twice about it until I got home & put the bag on a chair in my room. The excess dye from my new jeans transferred onto the bag & stained the fringe at the bottom, and the Chanel logo on the face of the bag. The photo below truly does not do the blue tint justice. There was absolutely no hiding it. It was dark & EXTREMELY noticeable. I immediately starting sobbing & called my dad. My family is in the textile cleaning industry, so my dad brought home every product he could think of to try to remove the pigment.

The Prognosis

After a few days of working on the stain on and off, we saw a slight improvement, but overall, the bag was just too light and too fragile to remove all of the blue without damaging the stitching. The stain removal products definitely lightened the stain, but as it diluted the color, it spread a bit and created some color spread. We created a few pulls on the face from rubbing it with solvent. The bag, unfortunately, was not looking much better and we needed to stop.

The Grief

I was honestly upset beyond words, & had no idea what to do next. Coming to terms with the fact that I could no longer use such a beautiful bag that I had spent so long saving for was not easy. I ruined it in one quick moment. Obviously, I know I could have continued to use it if I really wanted to, but I felt uncomfortable using such an expensive bag, and have people seeing that I did not properly take care of it. I was embarrassed. Most of all, I did not know what to do with the bag now. It was honestly just sitting in my closet looking damaged and making me sad.

The Resolution

At this point, there was nothing else to do to help my poor bag. I could not get the stain out, and I could not use it comfortably. Which is why I figured I did not have much less to lose by going completely rogue and dying it to cover the staining. Sam & I decided to create an ombré look so that I could still maintain some of the original color I loved so much, & still cover the damage.

How we Dip Dyed the Bag

The video on my IGTV below shows our process of dying the bag. We got our detailed instructions from this Youtube video!

What we Used to Dip Dye the Bag

The End Result

I am so beyond pleased with the final result of this dyed handbag! Not only is the stained covered, but the bag looks totally transformed! Dip dying it was a resolution that made it look fabulous, and leave me with a good feeling about wearing it confidently. Bags like this one are not meant to sit in a closet unused! I am so excited to be continuing out the summer with my new & improved spunky custom Chanel bag!

Want more DIY projects? Check out my latest denim masterpiece here!