How to Make Your Own Color Dye
Dye making is an ancient art that dates back as far as 2600 B.C. Dyes from that time used natural plant materials; it was in 1856 that the first synthetic dye was created, and today all dyes are chemically derived. Reach back to those ancient times and use the same plant materials that were traditionally used to make your own natural products. It is simple to make any color dye, and the possibilities for its uses are endless.
Things You'll Need
- White onion skins
- Beets
- Crab apple leaves
- Purple grapes
- Walnut hulls
- Yellow onion skins
- Water
- Pot
- Fabric
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Eggs
- Spoon
- Paper towels
- Smocks
- Gloves
Instructions
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Gather the plant materials you need to make the different colors of dye. Use white onion skins for yellow, beets for red, crab apple leaves for green, purple grapes for purple, walnut hulls for brown and yellow onion skins for orange. Add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of plant material in a pot, or two parts water to one part plant material. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for half an hour. Keep adding water as it steams out to prevent the pot from drying out.
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To use the dyes on fabric, prepare the fabric with a fixative to help the color set into the fibers. For berry dyes, mix 1/2 cup of salt with 8 cups of water. For plant dyes, mix 4 cups of water with 1 cup of vinegar. Put the fabric and fixative in a large pot, and simmer them together for one hour. Rinse the fabric thoroughly in cool water and squeeze out extra water. Put the fabric and dye in a clean, large pot and simmer them together until the cloth is the the appropriate color. Wash all dyed materials separately in cold water.
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Use the dyes to color Easter eggs. Hard boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Rinse the eggs under cold running water and leave them in a pot of cold water for five minutes. Use a spoon to dip each egg in a different color of dye for a couple of minutes, or until it is the desired shade. Scoop the eggs out on to paper towels to dry.
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The dyes can be used for coloring textiles, yarn and as a homemade paint for children to play with. If you let the kids play with it, they should wear smocks and gloves to protect their clothing and skin from getting accidentally dyed. You can dye your hair brown with the walnut husk dye, or red with the beet dye. Experiment by mixing to obtain different colors and shades.
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References
Resources
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