How can I dye textiles naturally?
I’ve spent the past year learning how to create custom colors using marigold and coreopsis. I picked these two flowers because of their brilliant colors, though you may have to dye something multiple times.
Natural dyes adhere best to natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, and wool, and they’ll adhere to some synthetics, such as rayon. Most fabrics and yarns will need to be prewashed before you dye them. Dye silks separately from anything else, as they’ll gobble up dye. In addition to your flowers and fiber, you’ll need a mordant, which allows dye to bond with fiber. Your results will vary based on your fabric, the mordant you choose, the container you use, and the amount of heat you apply.
- Start with two canning jars, one for each of your flowers.
- Pack the first jar with marigold flowers (shredded and bruised) and your fabric, and add no more than three 65-milligram tablets of ferrous sulfate as the mordant. Boil water and pour it into the canning jar, filling to the rim. When the jar is cool enough to be handled, place it in a hot, sunny location for a few hours or longer. You can lid the jar or let the water evaporate, either works. Marigold-dyed fibers will turn shades of yellow.
When handling metal mordants, wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Don’t use containers or utensils for dyeing that you plan to use for food later.
These dyes performed better when simmered on the stove in a cast aluminum pot than they did in a solar dye jar, but the advantage to the solar method is that it’ll prevent you from having to use electricity or fire.