How to Dye a Baseball Hat That Has Faded
Are you wondering how to dye a baseball hat that has faded and has sweat stains? Return all the color to it permanently and easily with this simple tutorial!
Skills Required: None. You can dye a baseball cap with no experience! It’s so easy, even a beginning crafter can do it.
I think many of you can understand that a lot of dudes have a favorite baseball hat, and sometime even more than one. I don’t happen to be a baseball-cap-wearin’ female, but they exist.
Whether you’re a male or a female, I find the love of a baseball hat to be infinite and unwavering, at least amongst people I know.
And in our Georgia weather, a hat can easily have a short shelf life based on the amount of time you a) sweat; b) hang out in the sun or c) both.
I’m setting the stage for you, my friends.
How to Make Faded Black Hats Black Again
It all started a few months ago when Steve mentioned to me that he was going to have to throw away his favorite hat.
Not because it had holes or a tear or anything like that, but because the heat and sweat had caused it to fade really badly, not to mention some weird staining on the brim.
Before throwing his hat in the circular file, he did have the good sense to come to me and ask what he could do for stain removal and to restore the fading.
He was wondering if there was any way he could dye the hat – because he’d tried everything else first (dishwasher with the special hat form, enzymes, etc).
Hand washing and a washing machine didn’t remove the sweat stains, and the fading was obviously permanent.
I got involved and we were able to fix the hat, and I’m so excited to share how we did it. To give you an idea of how it turned out so you can get excited, check out the before and after:
I know . . . it’s pretty much amazing. And now I’m going to tell you how we did it.
Meet this little metal can of fabric spray magic.
I’d actually seen Tulip Color Shot used for fashion crafts around the interwebs so it was somewhere in the back of my mind . . . but I didn’t make the connection until we were in Michaels on the fashion crafting aisle.
Steve and I were there together and actually had several products in our hands. I love Tulip brand, and I liked the advertised “even coverage” and “dries soft.” No one wants their hat to dry like a piece of cardboard.
So we decided to purchase a can and bring it home, and I’m pleased to tell you that the results were even more amazing that I could have imagined! Here’s how we brought Steve’s favorite hat back to life.
Gather These Supplies
- Tulip Color Shot – black (or whatever color your hat is)
- Painter’s tape
- Craft knife
- Cover for your work surface
Clean the Hat
Before dyeing, you’re going to wash your cap first. Take a peek at the care label to make sure there aren’t any special instructions. Then you’re going to do the wash.
You can use your own method, but personally I just hand wash in the sink. Plug the drain and add a splash of white vinegar and then a small amount of laundry detergent. Fill with warm/hot water. Stir (with your hand).
Let the hat sit in the water for about an hour, then rinse until the water runs clear. Ring out the excess water. Form and set out on a towel to dry.
So this is the hat beforehand – which you may think was a gray-blue-ish shade originally. No . . . it was BLACK. This is what sun and sweat do to hats, people!
This hat is either 100% cotton or close – there might be some poly in it (no tag). We washed the hat one more time to get rid of any sweat and dirt.
Tape Off Logos
Steve didn’t want the logo to be covered with paint, so we covered it with painter’s tape. But it wasn’t exactly shaped to the logo, as you can see.
This is where the craft knife came into play. We trimmed the painter’s tape around the baseball cap logo for an exact fit.
If you do this, please be very careful! You can plunge that craft knife right through the hat and cause a meltdown on the part of the owner, so gently cut away the tape.
This is what is left behind. Then the rest is simple.
Spray the Hat
Place the hat on a protected surface and, following the instructions on the can, spray the paint. Steve used three light layers of Color Shot, letting dry for several minutes between each.
He then turned the baseball hat over and did the bottom of the bill (not the inside). Remove the tape and let dry for several hours before handling.
It really worked *that* well! Once you learn how to dye a baseball cap, you can try several colors. We were so pleased with the results, though I do have a few notes:
- As I said, this hat was mostly cotton, but according to the bottle it works on natural and synthetic materials. Despite this, I always recommend doing a test before starting your project. In the case of a hat, you can do a quick blast to the inside where no one will see it before committing.
- You should not only cover any logos you don’t want painted with painter’s tape, but also any plastic.
- The paint does dry soft BUT it takes a few wears to get it loosened up. So don’t freak out if your hat is a little stiff right after painting – it will get soft again.
- The color is permanent, so you should be able to wash it. We haven’t washed the hat yet, but it has stood up to several days of sweating (so it’s gotten really wet) and there’s been no bleeding.
Update May 2023: we originally posted this nine years ago and the hat is still going strong! It’s been washed and there hasn’t been any bleeding. Steve actually did this a second time in late 2019, and it looks like its original black.
Now that you know how to dye a baseball hat, you realize how easy it is! Print out the how-to below.
How to Dye a Baseball Cap
Equipment
Materials
- 1 can Tulip Color Shot black, or whatever color your hat is
- Painter’s tape
- Cover for your work surface
Instructions
- Wash the hat and let it air dry.
- Cover up any logos with painter’s tape; trim around the edges carefully with a craft knife.
- Place the hat on a protected surface and, following the instructions on the can, spray the paint. Use three light layers of Color Shot, letting dry for several minutes between each.
- Turn the hat over and spray the bottom of the bill only.
- Remove the tape and let dry for several hours before handling or wearing.
Video
So what do you think – would you try it? Do you have any other favorite methods for restoring color to a hat?
If you liked this post, you might also like these other household cleaning articles! Check them out:
I highly recommend this procedure for restoring a worn and faded much loved baseball cap. My PanMass Challenge cap came out beautiful! Thank you so much.
Of course! We did it and Steve has been wearing it for months . . . and it’s worked great. I’m glad it’s working for you!
Thanks for the terrific writeup & photos. I’ll definitely give this a try on my favorite old hats.
Hi Amy, I tried this on my baseball cap exactly the way you did it. It definitely worked…. But, now my cap has a gloss to it. Almost a shiny leather look to it. Will that go away eventually? Or did i possibly over spray it? It’s especially glossy on the brim.
Hi Tom! That is so weird. Steve’s does not have the gloss. How long has it been? I would leave it out in the sun. Maybe the propellant that was in the can causes the shine and that needs to evaporate? His was stiff for a minute but that has gone away.
That’s exactly what I’m doing right now Amy. It did it yesterday afternoon, and let it sit for 24 hours. It’s also still pretty sticky as well. Also, it’s exactly like Steve’s hat except for the logo. Mine is a Harley Davidson one.
will it work on a faded red denim hat ? i had one area of it and it got really light white and i need something to bring it back to color quick
Yes – it works with cotton (the spray). You’ll want to spray the entire hat to make a consistent color – do several layers of lighter coats, letting drying between coats, then spray more in the whiter areas.
Oh It just two little spots on the brim nothing serious. I was going to coat it once.
A few years back I bought a hat from the Stormy Kromer company. It’s a waxed cotton cap. This thing fits like a glove and if it gets windy, it has built in flaps to pull down to block the ear wind. I don’t care how big your head is, Stormy has a hat that’ll fit.
Anyways, I’ve worn the heck out of my hat. I’ve got the fading and sweat staining, just like in your picture. For a year or so, I just put it away. I went on and bought myself new Stormy Kromer hats. Strange as it sounds though, that old hat is part of me. It represents a section of time in my life, memories that I can’t replace.
So tonight I’m motivated by your story and I’ve taken that old, worn hat out of the drawer it’s been in for so long. I’m cleaning it tonight and tomorrow, I’m going to buy some of that magic fabric spray. The only thing I’ll do different is treat the material with parrafin wax and blow dryer once it’s ready. Thank you.
Hi Thomas! I can’t tell you how much I understand what you are saying. I don’t value a lot of clothing items in general but I do have a few that are special to me. I will sew and patch and glue until there’s just a piece of fabric left.
Also I just looked up Stormy Kromer and now I want one. I also have a huge head for a girl so hopefully I find a hat that fits! Thank you for introducing me!
And good luck with your Stormy Kromer . . . I hope all goes smoothly!
A big head eh? We need a club or something)
I wear a size 7 7/8 or 8 in hats. I’ve always had trouble finding a hat. Fact is, before I found stormy kromer, my last hat was my special order high school graduation cap. Class of 92 baby! Then again, I didn’t want to cover my glorious mullet I was sporting at the time.
So here’s what I did to make sure I got the right size hat. I went to Cabellas and found some for sale hanging up. I tried some on but for me, they only had 7 1/2 in stock. Tried one of those on and it was so tight that I instantly got a headache. That was when it dawned on me, I’m a size 8.
And later that day I ordered my first one and with it, I begun a diary of adventure. I’ve been to the great smokies (twice) with it. I’ve been to so many concerts and festivals wearing it.
If you get one, you’ll see. Other people that wear the kromer will stop you and ask you about yours and people that have never seen one will ask you about it. If you do get one, let me know what you get. See!
Have a good one.
Im going to look for that stuff! My hat looks so raunchy but i cant find one that fits
the way it does. This is just what I have been looking for and much easier then soaking
it in messy dye. Ill report back.
Hi Gary! It’s at my local Michaels, just FYI!
Thanks Amy! Im getting it today. I’m almost embarrassed to wear this hat but I cant stop myself. I dont know what these awful stains are since im not even a sweater.
How sad coloring a cap is exciting me this much ! LOL
Okay, that is just incredible! Hat looks awesome, weird stains are covered and its a nice deep black. Really easy to apply too, goes on evenly. I sprayed over the emblem as well since it was faded as well. Now i feel bad i threw out some favorite hats that could have been renewed. Thanks for this great information Amy!
YAY! I’m so glad it worked for you!
This product completely ruined an old hat I was hoping to restore – the result is patchy, clumpy and shiny in places. Absolutely terrible product that should not be sold
Hi Rydo! Sorry you had problems. Not sure what happened – I’ve used this product on multiple hats and have not had issues like you did.
Hi, would this work with a Gucci cap with the Gucci pattern without removing the pattern?
The hat can be found on Gucci website and is called: Original GG canvas baseball hat with Web
Thanks
Hi Nick! It really depends on what the Gucci canvas is made of – I looked at the link you left and I can’t tell. You won’t lose the pattern, but if the GG pattern is somewhat of a different texture/etc you’ll lose the variation between that pattern and the rest of the hat. So you’ll still be able to see the pattern, but it won’t be as noticeable (you might have to get close up). It’s going to make it look more uniform in texture. SO . . . I guess to try this, you have to willing to lose the pattern visibility from a distance. But it’s not going to remove it all together!
What if there’s text that are spaced out, how do you tape up/touch up in between the letters?
Hi Lee! I’d probably very carefully tape up the letters. Or you could try spraying the spray I used into a little dish and brushing on with a small brush.
I found that Dawn dish soap and a brush with fairly stiff nylon bristles will get those weird colored sweat stains out of hats. It generally takes a few rounds of scrubbing, thoroughly rinsing, and drying before everything is all said and done but it turns out really well. Going to add a can of Tulips in to the mix to keep my favorite hat on my head….because believe it or not…favorite hats can be hard to come by…
I was looking for ways to restore a handful of hats I got that is now pretty faded and that brought me here. Just want to ask. Since the making of your guide have you ever washed the hat? If you did, was it able to retain its color after?
I just asked and he hasn’t washed it. Having said that, it was in the rain and got soaked a few times (we live in the PNW) and it didn’t run. I’m thinking the dye would stick.
Hey My name is Jasmine I have a Black Gorillaz G Foot Baseball cap that’s beginning to fade but I don’t know what fabric it is due to the tag not telling me. Does the paint work on all fabrics?
I can send you a picture of my cap.
Hi Jasmine! If it’s fading, it’s most likely cotton or a cotton blend. This will work! At least, I’d give it a try.
I have a green and orange hat that is for the Miami hurricanes the hat was my sons grandfather’s is so faded he wants me to restore it I’m really kind of worried about the two colors running on each other what do you think. Not to mention this will be my first time trying this any suggestions or tips
Hi Jackie! Let the first color set for a day or two before doing the second color, and use painter’s tape to block off one area while you are painting the other. You’re going to do great – just work slowly and have patience 🙂
Hi Amy read your page a few years ago and I’m finally going to give it a try!!! Rydo mention his hat came out shiny and patchy etc. Do you know how that happen? And as I was trying to order my can (Google search) I’ve noticed that there’s 2 option that look really close to each other. It’s both said “instant fabric color” and one said “interior fabric upholstery”. I just want to ask you if I need to stay away from the “interior fabric…….” spray?
Hey there, Amy. I came across your post because I have a black hat that I got on a book tour. I recently left it under the UV light along with other belongings but accidentally left it under there overnight. Now there’s this one spot near the front right side of the hat that has a faded and orange splash.
I don’t know if there’s any way to post photos here to show you, but its got one of those logo designs that show the black cotton of the hat as its background as well, so I don’t think I can just cover it with the painter’s tape. Do you have any advice?
Hi Eli! Send me an email at amy at diycandy.com!
We tried it and it worked great for us! Did it with 2 hats that were badly sun dyed, now they look brand new!
I managed to source this spray in the UK.
I started by washing my hat with shower gel. After spraying, it’s better than ever. I only had to do the faded bits because it blends in so well.
Perfect solution, thanks Amy.
Thank you so much Paul!
It’s been a while on this post, so hopefully you’re still answering questions. I actually have 3 hats that are all navy blue that I want to restore, so I’m curious how many cans of Tulip Color Shot I would need. Do you recall how much of the can is used on a single hat?
Howdy John! So we used less than a can on one hat. I would get two cans. Because I feel that between the two, you’d be fine. Do all three hats together though. Spray one layer on each hat, let dry, repeat, etc. until they are all painted. So you can make sure that each hat gets covered. Good luck!
@Amy, Thanks! Two for three hats is about what I was thinking. Appreciate the advice!
I’m not sure how I found this page but I’m sure glad I did. I have a relatively new black Phillies hat that discolored very quickly. It was quite disappointing. However I followed the directions above and viola, my black hat is nice and black again. I have a couple of older grey hats that I think I’ll give a try next. Thank you very much for this instructional article.
Thank you so much for posting this! Exactly what I was looking for 😊