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Welcome to the dyeing plastic--the cheap way page!
Originally posted on 1-20-24, this post follows my adventures with using crepe paper to dye plastic.

Two years ago, I got a new phone--the iPhone SE. When I bought it, I of course had gotten a case to go with it. This case was a nice transluscent black. However, as time as passed by, and my phone has made contact with not only my hands, but various other things by proxy of my hands, my case has become gross. The surface of it has begun to feel a bit icky, the color has faded, and the inside has gathered so much dust! I could have cleaned it and moved on with life, but I began the hunt for a new phone case. I searched Goodwill--nothing was found. I searched Walmart, to where I also had no luck. Now, my phone is only 2 years old, mind you, and it is compatible with cases from many iPhone generations, so I didn't figure finding cases would even be this big of a hassle! Eventually, I tried Five Below. They had a decent selection. Unfortunately, all the cases for my phone were just generic clear cases! It would work, it would be a nicer feeling phone case, but the look of plain clear plastic does not at all appeal to me. I bought it, but I wasn't satisfied. Through some basic googling around, I have found a new method for taking your boring, clear phone cases and adding some pizzazz to them! At some point in time, someone invented crepe streamers. Who? I have no idea. What were they invented for? Probably for parties, but again, I'm not entirely sure. It's primary use may be for parties, but today, I will be using it to turn my generic white phone case to a beautiful shade of blue! Down below the steps will be outlined: Step 1 -- Purchase Crepe Paper As of writing, I haven't tested to confirm, but I imagine it might be best to stick with darker colors? I imagine they will show better and dye the plastic quicker. Step 2 -- Boil Water & Add Crepe Paper I did this step by boiling water in a pot and then adding the crepe paper. You could also use hot water from a coffee maker and some other holding container. Step 3 -- Remove Crepe Paper & Add Plastic I'm not sure how long is best to leave in the crepe paper. I watched a video where they did it until the paper turned more whiteish, but I also may have used so much paper that my water saturated with dye before that could hapen. I think your best judgement will work to determine when you can take the paper out. Step 4 -- Leave Plastic in Dyed Water I let mine steep in the water for roughly 20 minutes. It changed kind of quick! If you'd like it darker, having it for longer will of course work. However, towards the end I feel like it wasn't changing color as much anymore. I'm not sure how far you could take it. And there you have it! An easy guide on how to achieve these results: Now, there are still a lot of questions about this. How long do you leave the paper in? How long should your plastic be left in? How much dye can the plastic take in? Ultimately, while there are these questions, they don't really matter much. Experiment! I had fun doing this process, and truthfully, there are better ways to dye plastic. This way is just a cheap and fun artsy-crafty experiment ^^.