We would first most like to thank Jory Reid for so graciously sharing this simple and easy how to dye a disc article!
If you haven't checked it out already, you need to head over to his Instagram, @gorgediscgolfer, to check out all of his awesome discs that he has dyed using the technique below. He even has dyed discs for sale and does custom work!
Be sure to take a peek!
Jory Reid on How to Dye a Disc Golf Disc
With my disc golf off-season in full swing, I find myself getting a bit bored with putting in my garage and find that YouTube videos don’t quite quench my thirst for connecting with this game as deeply as I would like to.
Between the winter months setting in and the Coronavirus canceling my tournaments, I turned to a long lost hobby of mine,
Dyeing Discs.
It started back in 2011 when I dyed my first Star TeeRex with the old Santa Cruz skateboard logo (which also ended up being my first ace disc (dyed discs ace better than regular discs).
At the time, I was using powdered Rit dye, cheap contact paper and my stove top looked like a crime scene every other night.
And for some reason I put it away.
Fast forward to now and I am back at it and in a way I thought I would never be. A huge thanks goes out to all of the people producing online videos, how-to’s and the beloved Instagram community of disc dyers!
There are dozens of methods out there to try and a nearly endless list of materials you can acquire for doing dyes. Anything from a gallon of Elmer’s school glue to a vinyl cutting machine and everything in between.
My favorite ingredients that I've came across so far are Worm dip fishing lure dye and Shea butter lotion.
Yeah, it gets that weird.
Some of the styles can get pretty complex and it takes a lot of courage to try them on your beloved discs, but ultimately it can be a lot of fun.
Continue reading to learn how to do what I think is one of the most simple, yet visually stunning methods of disc dyes, the shaving cream dome method.
What do I need to dye a disc?
Let's start with the materials!
1. Can of regular Shaving cream such as Barbasol or Gillette
2. Large mixing bowl and spoon
3. Paper plate (make sure it is bigger than the disc - I use an Ultrastar disc)
4. Packet of Dye in the colors you wish, be sure to pick up as many colors as you think you would need! (iDye Poly works great! You can check it out at the link below!)
5. Premium plastic disc (Star, ESP, Tournament, Gold line, etc usually take colors the best) For this article, I chose a Star Firebird.
How to dye a disc: Instructions
Step one: Make sure you have the space to get all your ingredients in the same area, this makes the process much easier/smooth.
Step two: Put a fair amount of shaving cream (2-3 cups worth) in the large mixing bowl and mix the shaving cream with the spoon until you have a smooth consistency.
Step three: form a dome (4” to 6” in diameter) of shaving cream in the center of the plate. The more round you make it, the more evenly your pattern will come out.
Step four: Sprinkle dye from the packet lightly around the dome. You can do it light, heavy, in a pattern, etc. whatever suits your fancy. Wait 10-15 minutes for the dye to soak up some moisture.
Step five: Place the disc face down on top of the dome. Do this lightly and don’t press down very much, maybe half way at most. Then set your can of shaving cream on top of the disc gently.
As you can see, you can get very creative with the pigments you choose and how you arrange them!
Place the plate with the disc and shaving cream can on top in a safe place. Try 24 hours for your first time. Different plastic types will respond differently depending on how long you let them sit in the dye.
Step six: pick up your disc, rinse it off and enjoy your newly dyed disc!
and tada!! Your disc is complete!
*** all dyes will come out different and any changes to steps 3 through 5 will have significant impacts on the completed disc. You can also experiment with colored shaving cream by adding dye to the mixing bowl and whipping the color in before you make the dome or you can add vinyl stencils to create your own designs or logos.
Personally, I use this method as a supplement to other methods like spin dyes and stencil dyes.
It is a great way to make a simple black stencil on a white disc really pop, or it can completely accentuate a spin dye and bring in aspects of dimension and depth to the piece.
Make sure though that no matter what, remember to have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously!
This is should be a fun and relaxing activity and you can't go wrong with any design!
Jory Reid
PDGA #50006 Team Infinite Discs IG: @jorys_fly_dyes
Jory is very talented with both throwing and dyeing discs! As stated above you can see his work at his Instagram page and he also does custom work that makes for a great gift or for league/tournament events!
As shown earlier in the How To, if you're interested in trying this out for yourself, you can pick up the pigments you need on Amazon by clicking on the photo below. Be sure to add any color you think you might need for your current project or any future one!
We hope you enjoyed this article and once again Thank You to Jory Reid for sharing this awesome How To!
Be sure to send us a picture of your own disc dyeing projects to be shared on our page! Have fun!
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