How do you dye mid-light blue velvet curtains to maroon?

What fiber is the velvet made of? "Real" velvet is made out of many different fibers. You can buy rayon velvet, silk velvet, polyester velvet, and so on. If your velvet is made out of polyester, you won't be able to dye it, and you won't be able to find a professional who is willing to dye it, either. Polyester can be dyed only by boiling it for some time with a special polyester dye called disperse dye. This would require a huge stainless steel cooking pot, large enough for the drapes to move freely; such a pot would cost more than a set of new drapes, and you'd never be able to use it for food again afterwards. If the velvet is made of rayon, you can dye it in a washing machine, if the drapes will fit in one, using a cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. Be very careful with rayon, because it is very weak and prone to tear when it is wet. Silk velvet is the easiest of all to dye. It can be dyed with fiber reactive dyes OR acid dyes; you can even dye it with all- ...  more