To create a new style of vintage art, why not look at the decorating tools you may not even realise can be of assistance – your washing machine for example. Yes, now is your chance to make your own stamp on vintage style in your home and use a method called machine-wash dyeing.

First choose an item you want to give a vintage style to, you can even choose more than one item if you like – your bed sheets and a doily for your bedside table will make a perfect vintage style statement; now choose a dye color.

Top loading machines work best for this dyeing method when dyeing large items as you ensure an even coverage, but front loaders work perfectly for smaller items. Then wash your items on a warm wash cycle, filling your machine to about half its capacity. When the load is done, take it out and restart your machine to the longest hot wash cycle it has, with the water level covering your items; now add the dye according to the instructions.

Let the machine agitate for about a minute before adding the items to be dyed, and – making sure your items ‘wash’ for at least half an hour – let the cycle run through, wash the items again with washing powder this time, and on a normal hot cycle, and then line dry your new vintage style fabrics ready to display.