How to Make Your Own Nature-Based Paint & Fabric Dye

Most berries make excellent dyes.

People have been making natural paints and dyes for thousands of years. Historically, the colors that a culture was able to produce depended largely on the type of plant life that was found in the immediate region. The flowers, roots, leaves, berries and even bark of many plants can create excellent dyes and paints. Lichens and mosses come in various hues and shades and provide excellent natural material for plant-based dyes and paints. Experiment with the plants found in your area to find the best ones for paint and dye.

Things You'll Need

• Plant material
• Water
• Stove
• Pot
• Strainer
• Bucket
• Wooden spoon
• Vegetable shortening or egg yolk

Instructions

Dyeing Fabric

1. If you are dyeing cotton, you will need to make a mordant to help the dye take hold. Make a simple alum mordant that will make your dye color brighter and more permanent by adding a small teacup full of alum and 2 heaping tbsp. cream of tartar to 2 1/2 gallons of warm water. Soak the cotton for 24 hours prior to dyeing. Wool and silk do not need a mordant in order for the dye to work.

2. Gather as much plant material as you'll need. About 500 grams of plant material, or a five gallon bucket full, will create enough dye for two to three lengths of cloth or two to three T-shirts.

3. Fill an old pot with water equal to the amount of plant material you will be using. If you have a 5-gallon bucket full of plant material, you will need five gallons of water. Split the batch in two if you do not have a big enough pot. You will not be able to use this pot for cooking afterward.

4. Boil the water and plant material, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or until the water is darkly colored.

5. Rinse the mordant off the fabric with clean water. Place the wet fabric in the hot dye for at least 30 minutes, keeping the dye at a simmer while stirring the fabric around to distribute the color evenly. The longer you leave the fabric in the dye, the darker or brighter the color will be.

6. Rinse the dyed fabric under water until the water runs clear. Wash the fabric with soap and water, rinse and let it dry.

Making Paint

1. Follow steps 2 through 4 in Section 1. Use less water when boiling plant matter for darker, brighter paints.

2. Add the dye to some vegetable shortening and mix well. Use less dye for lighter colors and more for darker shades. Beware of using too much dye, as you do not want your paint to be runny. Use the paint as you would watercolors, adding more water to impart a translucent effect and less for an opaque finish.

3. Use an egg yolk rather than shortening, if desired. Keep in mind that the yellow color of the yolk may change the color of the dye.

Tips & Warnings

• Common plants and the resulting dye color:

• Red Clover, Goldenrod flowers, Marigold, Sumac bark = Yellow

• Onion and passion fruit skins, Acorns, Walnut hulls = Brown

• Dandelion root = Red

• All parts of Virginia creeper = Peach

• Pokeweed berries = Red or Purple

• Red Cedar root = Purple

• Queen Anne's Lace, Grass, Rhododendron Leaves = Green

• Rose hips = Pink or Red

• Iris roots = Grey or Black

• Avoid handling poisonous plants.

• Do not collect more than two-thirds of a stand of plants. Leave enough for the plant to reseed itself.

• Do not remove lichen from stones or living trees. Collect lichen and mosses from dead trees, buildings or headstones.

References

• Tearfund International Learning Zone: Home-made Plant Dyes
• A Natural State: Make and Use Natural Dyes-Plant Guide