If you’ve been searching for real Dharma ice dye swatches before committing to a purchase, you’re in the right place. Dharma Trading teamed up with Dalula Dyes on a brand new set of ice dye colors, and I tested all six of them myself so you can see exactly what they look like before you buy.
Instead of just showing you fabric squares, I dyed these swatches on an actual geode tie, so you can see how each color splits and settles into the sinew lines in a real project. In this post I’m breaking down every swatch, showing you the tie I used to test them, and walking through my rinse out process step by step.
Watch the full video here:
Why I Chose a Geode Tie for This Test
I wanted to see what the sinew lines would do with these colors, so a geode tie felt like the right call. If you haven’t done one before, it’s basically a crumple style tie where you grab a random area of fabric, wrap sinew around it a few times, and pull it tight with a sinew puller. I used artificial sinew for this one.
I tied two separate nodules the same way so I’d have a consistent base for comparing all six colors. If you want to see more geode variations, I have a whole playlist linked below.
Tools I used:
- Artificial sinew and a sinew puller
- Letter organizers as my drying rack, set over cake pans
- Magic Tracks (yes, the kids’ toy!) to help form the ice dye shape — I get asked about these constantly, and you can actually find them secondhand at thrift stores too
- All the towels pictured in this post I purchase from Amazon here.
You can find everything I use linked in my Amazon storefront and Walmart storefront.
Dharma Ice Dye Swatches: All Six Dalula Dyes Colors
Here’s how each swatch turned out, both before and after rinsing.
Moody Fire
This one had a slightly green tint going on before it even hit the fabric, and that carried through to the final result. The fiery red-orange settled right into the sinew lines, while the rest of the shirt shifted into a hazy, moody green. I’m really curious to see what this looks like on a gravity dye project since it sat in those sinew lines so beautifully.
Northern Lights
This was everyone’s favorite over on Instagram, and I get why. The powder was a little clumpier going on, but the payoff was worth it: purple on one side, teal on the other. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever used a color that compares to this one. It’s my personal favorite from the whole set.
Crimson Haze
This powder was fine and sandy, so it applied really smoothly. The result was gorgeous: one side landed as a cranberry red, the other as a smoky blue-gray. In the sinew lines specifically, you get that same red-orange as Moody Fire, but with a gray tint instead of green. Crimson Haze is a perfect name for it.
Nova
Peach and turquoise, with a little peach showing up on the edges too. If you’ve ever mixed Dharma’s Peach and Wasabi together, this is very similar to that combo, except you get it in a single jar. I think this one would be gorgeous as a gravity dye, maybe even on a Deity Roll piece.
Rusted Blue
Turquoise on one side, a dusty red rock color on the other. It’s more pink than rust if I’m being picky about the name, but the combination gives off serious Southwest vibes. Lots of potential uses for this one.
Bohemian Sunrise
This was the one exception to the splitting pattern. The top and bottom stayed pretty similar rather than splitting into two distinct colors, landing somewhere between terracotta and a dusty pink. It’s beautiful on its own, but if you’re chasing that dramatic split effect, this isn’t your splitter. I think it would pair really well with other colors in a multi-color design.
My Application and Rinse Process
For all six colors, I followed the same process:
- Tie your fabric (I used a geode tie for this test)
- Pack ice over the tied fabric
- Sprinkle the dye powder over the ice
- Let the ice melt completely
- Let the fabric sit for 24 hours
- Rinse with cool water first to remove as much excess dye as possible
- Switch to hot water
- Add a squirt of Dawn dish soap
- Finish with a hot wash cycle in the washing machine
I rinsed each piece the same way, so if you’re testing these colors yourself, you can expect a consistent process across the board.
Final Thoughts
I am genuinely impressed with this collection. Northern Lights is my top pick, but I don’t think there’s a bad color in the bunch. If Dharma and Dalula Dyes put out more colors together, I’m buying every single one.
I’d love to know which of these six stands out to you. Drop a comment and let me know which one you’d try first.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Dharma ice dye swatches before buying? This post has real swatches of all six new Dharma x Dalula Dyes colors, tested on an actual geode tie so you can see how they split and settle into the fabric, not just how they look as a flat square of color. Dharma also has some on their site, but note they usually use rayon for their swatches so the colors are a little different than when they’re used on cotton (which is more common.) You can also join some Facebook groups where people share swatches as well!
Where can I buy the Dharma x Dalula Dyes ice dye colors? These colors are available directly through Dharma Trading Co. Some of the shades were originally Dalula Dyes’ own colors before the collaboration, and it looks like a mix of returning favorites and new releases.
What are the “eyes” or shapes used to hold the ice dye tie in place? Those are called Magic Tracks. They’re actually a children’s toy, and you can find them in my Amazon storefront and Walmart storefront. They also show up secondhand at thrift stores fairly often.
Do all of these colors split into two shades? Most of them do, which is part of what makes ice dye so fun to experiment with. Bohemian Sunrise is the exception in this set. It stays fairly consistent between the top and bottom of the fabric rather than splitting dramatically.
What tie should I use to test new ice dye swatches? A geode tie is a great option because the sinew lines create really distinct color breaks, which makes it easier to see exactly what a new color does. If you want a different look, these colors would also be worth trying on a gravity dye.
Shop my handmade tie dye and ice dye pieces on Etsy: PracticalandprettyUS
