In the spirit of staying home & saving money, I decided to learn the art of natural dying. I learned there are so many fruits & vegetables you can use to naturally dye fabrics. I had turmeric & beets on hand so I decided to experiment with those.
Step 1
For turmeric dye: combine 3-4 cups of water, 2 tbs of white vinegar & 4 tbs of turmeric powder in a pot. Stir & let simmer for 1 hour.
For beet dye: combine 3-4 cups of water, 2 tbs of white vinegar & 3 cups of chopped beet leaf & a quarter of a beet. Combine in a pot. Stir & let simmer for 1 hour.
Step 2
While the dyes are simmering, gather fabrics you want to dye. I used some 100% cotton napkins I already had on hand. After doing some research, I found pre-washed, natural fabrics work best.
For some of my napkins, I decided to clip & rubber band the edges to create a tie-dye affect. This article was helpful for clipping techniques.
Step 3
After the dyes have simmered for 1 hour, strain the excess particles (powder, beet leaves, etc.) out so you are left with just dyed mixture in a new container.
Step 4
Place your fabrics into the dye vats & let sit anywhere from 20 min - 1 hour. The color will continue to get deeper the longer it sits. Keep in mind, once you wash the dye the fabric will lighten.
Step 5
After desired amount of time has elapsed, remove fabrics & rinse until the water runs clear.
Step 6
Air dry in the shade or throw in the dryer to let the color set. after completely dry, I ran mine through a cold rinse cycle in the washing machine & dried in the dryer on high heat.
Overall, I was happier with the result of the turmeric mixture. the items dyed with beets came out a little too light, though still a pretty pink.
Any other tips for natural dying techniques?
Comments