How to Make Fabric Paint with Plants

Almost any natural dye can easily be turned into a fabric paint with a few simple additions. The key to strong color is to start with a concentrated dye and mordanted fabric. For this tutorial, I’m working with avocado skins but dye extracts and powdered dyes also work well.

Step 1 – Extracting the Dye

If working with raw plant material, the dye will need to be slowly extracted with low heat so that it has time to become as concentrated as possible. Simply cover the plant material with water and heat on low for 2-3 hours – refilling the water as necessary. Keeping the water levels low throughout the heating process will allow you to create the strongest dye possible while also saving the energy and time that would be expended to cook the dye down. Once the dye has developed to its full potential, the plant material can be removed and, if necessary, the dye can be returned to the stove and cooked down to create a small amount of concentrated dye.

Step 2 – Thickening the Paint

I like to work with guar gum as a thickening agent for the paint. The guar gum can be added directly to your paint if the paint is hot. I like to predissolve my guar gum in some hot water or, to maximize the integrity of the paint, a small amount of the paint can be heated and used to predissolve the gum. The dissolved gum mixture can then be mixed directly into the paint. I explain exactly how in the video below.

I work with ~1/8 tsp of guar gum for 1/4 cup of paint

Step 3 – Painting

Before painting, the fabric should be scoured, mordanted, and dry. I have had the best results with colorfastness when I work with fabric that has been mordanted with method 3 from my online course ‘Printing with Flowers & Leaves’.

I like to apply paints with a brush or roller. The paint can be stenciled onto the fabric or applied free hand. I like to work with stiff paint brush for knitted fabric but rollers, stamps, and fingers work well too. In the video below, I show exactly how I stretch and paint socks.

Finishing & Care for Painted Cloth

The paint should be allowed to dry and rest on the fabric for a few days. Before washing, iron with a hot iron to help facilitate a bond between the mordant and dye.

The first wash should should be with cold water and a decent amount of enzyme free detergent. The surfactants in the detergent will bind to any dyes that wash off the sock and help them not rebind in places you might not want them. This will minimize the amount of bleeding or running on the white portion of the sock.

Dry out of direct sunlight to minimize chances to minimize the chances of fading from UV exposure.

Resources

If you’d like to learn more about natural dyes with one-on-one guidance, you can read more about my self-paced, online courses here. You can use code NEWFRIEND for 25% off today.

Here’s a link for the guar gum I use in this tutorial.

Happy Painting!

How to Eco Print with Flowers | Natural Dye Technique

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

Eco printing is the process of transferring color directly from a flower or plant to a piece of cloth. It’s a simple and fun natural dye technique that gives truly stunning results. In this post, I will show you how to eco print with flowers.

Eco printing is similar to bundle dyeing. However, the outcome is what sets the two techniques apart. With eco printing, the goal is to be able to see the definite shape or outline of the plant that gave the color. Whereas, with bundle dyeing, the goal is usually more blended and fluid.

Click Here for my online, self-paced Eco Printing Course.

Terminology

There are many terms that go along with eco printing.
Here are a few that I will be referencing throughout this tutorial:

  • Target fabric – this is the fabric that you want the color to transfer onto
  • Barrier – A piece of cloth, paper or plastic that minimizes the bleeding of the color
  • Dowel – A piece of wood that is used to roll the fabric

Supplies

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye
  • Target fabric
  • Flowers or leaves
  • Dowel rod
  • Barrier of choice (see options below)
  • Ace bandage or cotton string
  • Heat source

Choosing Fabric

Like other natural dye techniques, eco printing will only work on natural fibers. Natural fibers are fibers can be either cellulose (cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, etc) or protein (silk, wool, other animal hair). Many choose to use silk because it takes prints really well. However, I have found that cotton and bamboo silk also work very well.

Choosing a Barrier

Barriers are necessary for clear and clean prints. Many eco printers achieve beautiful results by using single use plastic but there are many other, more eco friendly, alternatives.

Here are a few of my favorite alternatives to single use plastic:

  • Kraft paper
  • Parchment paper
  • Packaging that comes on things ordered in the mail
  • Cereal bags
  • Thick cloth

Step 1

Dampen your target fabric then wring as much excess moisture out as possible. I like to give mine a spin in the washing machine. Then lay the fabric on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles.

Fabric should be pre-treated (scoured and mordanted) for best results. I like to keep the background of my eco prints as white as possible so I use the alternative mordanting process that I share in my online natural dye course.

Step 2

At this point, you have to decide if you want to lay flowers on the entire piece of target fabric or only on half the fabric.

If the flowers are laid on half of the fabric, the other half will be folded over to achieve a mirror print. I prefer this method, as it tends to give cleaner prints.

Step 3

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

Arrange flowers on the fabric face down. Some stems and leaves will give beautiful prints as well. There’s no wrong or right way to arrange your flowers. Play around and have some fun!

Step 4

If you choose to arrange flowers on the entire piece of fabric, skip to step 5.

If you chose to arrange flowers on half of the fabric, fold the other half over to make a fabric, flower, fabric sandwich.

Step 5

Cover your fabric with your barrier of choice.

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

Your pile should either look like

  • Target cloth, flowers, target cloth, barrier
  • Target cloth, flowers, barrier

Step 6

Starting at the bottom, roll your pile around the dowel as tightly as possible.

Bundles can also be rolled without a dowel but expect the prints to be a bit messier.

Step 7

Now it’s time to wrap your bundle! My secret to clean prints is to use an old ace bandage to wrap around the bundle. However, you can also use cotton string.

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

My secret to clean prints is to use an old ace bandage to wrap around the bundle.

Step 8

Now it’s time to steam your bundles! Place them in a steamer and heat for 5-15 minutes. I’ve found that flowers need a much shorter steam time than leaves.

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

Step 9

Eco printing, natural dye, eco print, plant dye

Allow the bundles to cool then unroll to reveal your magical eco printed fabric!

Step 10

Wash with a small amount of pH neutral soap.

At this point, the dye from the flowers has formed a bond with the mordant in the fabric so any dye that washes away is excess.

Click here if you’d like to learn more about natural dyeing!

How to Natural Dye at Home: 5 tips for beginners

Learning how to natural dye at home can feel pretty overwhelming. Especially when there is so much misinformation floating around out there. However, it doesn’t have to be intimidating or overly complicated.

Here are 5 Tips to Help You Begin Your Natural Dye Journey

1. You Don’t Need a Studio or a Large Space

Natural dyeing can easily take place in your kitchen or even outside. Good ventilation is the most important thing to consider when trying to decide where you’ll dye. This can be as easy as the vent hood above your stove or a fan and open windows.

I often use a small electric burner to heat my dye and mordant pots outdoors.

how to natural dye

2. Supplies

You don’t need much to begin experimenting with natural dyes. When I first began, I kept all of my natural dye supplies in one tiny cabinet. I thrifted all of my dye pots and spoons and used my local facebook BuyNothing page to source many of the other supplies I needed.

how to natural dye, how to scour, how to mordant, natural dye for beginners

Click here for a tip on finding second hand stainless steel pots.

These list may look a bit different for each person, depending on how experimental you choose to be in the beginning of your journey. For instance, if you want to follow specific recipes from the get-go you may feel that a scale and thermometer are necessary instead of optional.

Here are the necessities:

  • A stainless steel pot that will never be used to cook food again
  • A heat source
  • Dye stuff (the plants you will use for dye)
  • Mordants
  • A water source
  • Spoons that will never be used to cook food again
  • Fiber to dye (this can look like old bed sheets or thrifted clothes) – see my tips for using thrifted clothes here
  • Rags for cleaning
  • Rubber gloves
  • Face mask to wear while mixing fine powders

Optional Supplies (these can be added as you go):

  • Stainless steel sieve
  • Thermometer (I love my $3 candy thermometer)
  • pH testing strips
  • Scale that measures in grams

3. Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

This will look different for each person and depends greatly on what your immediate dyeing goal is. When you’re just beginning you can either, experiment and learn by trial and error or learn from mentors or teachers. If you’re able to take a solid natural dye course, you will be on a path for immediate success. However, I know this isn’t a realistic option for everyone.

In the beginning of my dye journey, I wasn’t able to afford natural dye workshops and courses so I did a lot of experimenting. It was a time that was often frustrating but also enlightening. I learned so much throughout those experiences.

It can be tempting to buy every dye book available but I recommend starting with one or two. It can be beneficial to learn from many sources but it can also be confusing when each recipe or technique slightly differs from teacher to teacher.

Regardless of what route you choose to take, I highly recommend documenting everything – even mistakes. I can’t tell you the amount of times I wish I had written something down.

Click here for a free printable natural dye journal.

4. Learning How to Properly Pre-treat Fibers

how to natural dye, how to scour, how to mordant, natural dye for beginners

I can’t stress this one enough. It can be tempting to jump right into making dyes and dyeing – those are the really fun parts after all. However, learning how to scour and mordant right from the beginning will make all the difference in how well your fibers take color and how long the color lasts.

5. Save Money by Saving Food Scraps & Foraging

how to natural dye, how to scour, how to mordant, natural dye for beginners

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already heard me talking all about the controversy over using food waste dyes.

Here’s the thing, there are some food waste dyes that make absolutely terrible dyes because they lack the molecular structure to bind onto the fiber. These types of foods will make stains, not dyes.

Some of these are:

  • Red cabbage
  • Beets
  • Edible berries
  • Edible parts of veggies
  • Turmeric

However, there are some food waste dyes that contain the proper phytochemicals for dyeing. Some make dyes that are quite colorfast while others are less so. I’ve listed some of my favorites in order from most to least colorfast.

Food Waste Dyes:

  • Pomegranate skins
  • Yellow onion skins
  • Avocado skins
  • Avocado Pits (seeds/stones)
  • Red onion skins

Foraging for local dye plants is another great option for saving money on dye materials. It takes a bit of experimenting to figure out which of your local dye plants will make a good dye.

If you’d like to dive deeper into what chemical groups constitute a good dye plant and how to test for them in your local plants, check out my latest online course.

Some of my favorite locally foraged dyes:

  • Acorns
  • Oak Galls
  • Pecan husks
  • Coreopsis flowers
  • Sycamore leaves
  • Four Nerve Daisies flowers

How to Dye with Acorns

natural dye, plant dye, acorn dye

You may have noticed that your local oak trees have begun to grow heavy with acorns. The coming of acorns always makes me feel glee. They signify that summer is coming to and end and cooler autumn days are on the way. In this tutorial, I will show you how to dye with acorns.

How to dye with acorns, natural dye with acorns

Acorns make a potent dye that is easy to create and use. It is a great dye for those who are new to natural dyeing. A range of colors from tans to browns and greys to blacks can all be achieved with acorns.

Any type of acorn can be used to create dye. I used a combination of four different varieties for this tutorial. The amount of acorns used is also very flexible. The more that are used, the darker the dye will be. I used about one pound for this tutorial.

Supplies:

  • Stainless steel or aluminum pot
  • Acorns
  • Fine Mesh Strainer
  • Cheese Cloth or Muslin
  • Large Bowl or a second pot
  • Mordanted fiber
  • Iron water (optional)

Check out this post if you’d like to learn more about pre-treating fabric with soy or click here for a mordanting tutorial.

Step 1

Place acorns in a pot and cover with water. Cover with lid and heat on high until the water begins to boil. Boil for an hour. Then, let the mixture rest for a couple of hours. Check the color. If you are satisfied, you can move on to step two. If you would like a darker dye, bring the mixture to a boil again. Continue to boil the mixture until the dye reaches the depth of color you are looking for.

I usually boil acorn dye on and off for around 24 hours, checking the water level frequently to be sure the acorns are still covered. However, you can check the color as you go and stop heating when you’re satisfied with the color.

Step 2

Line a strainer with double layered cheese cloth or muslin. Lay the strainer over a bowl or pot and pour the dye through the strainer so that all of the solids are caught in the strainer.

At this point, you can compost the acorns or use them to make a second dye bath that can be added to the first.

Note, in the photo above, I did not line my strainer with cloth. I found that this let too much sediment through and ended up re-straining it through cloth.

Step 3

Wipe out or rinse the dye pot so that there are no little bits or solids left. Then, pour the dye back into the pot.

Step 4

Add the damp fiber you wish to dye. Then, Simmer on medium-high heat for 1-12 hours, stirring checking the color frequently.

The amount of time the fabric needs to dye is dependent upon the depth of color you are trying to achieve.

Always remember that the fiber will be about three shades lighter after it is rinsed and dried.

Note, some of the photos above show that there are acorns in the pot as I’m checking the color of the fabric. When testing a dye, I do often leave the dye stuff in the pot with the fabric. However, I don’t recommend this method as it usually creates uneven results on the fabric.

Step 5

Once you are satisfied with the color, remove the fiber and wring out as much excess dye as possible. Allow it to dry out of direct sunlight.

I like to let my fabric dry then sit and cure for a few days before rinsing it. However, it can also be rinsed and used immediately after being dyed.

Step 6 (optional)

This step is optional and is only necessary if you would like to shift the colors from tans/browns to greys/blacks.

In order to shift the colors, the fiber will need to be dipped in iron water. Iron water can be made by soaking rusty metal in water for a few days until the water becomes the color of iron or by dissolving some ferrous sulfate crystals in water.

I like to start with a weak iron water solution and add more if needed. Iron water should be made in a glass, plastic or stainless steel vessel.

Fill the vessel about 2/3 of the way full with warm water and mix in 1/2 tsp of ferrous sulfate. Stir until the crystals have dissolved. The water should change to a rust color within seconds. Then, place the damp fabric in the iron water and swoosh it around for a few seconds before taking it out and rinsing. If the color is not dark enough, re-dip the fabric or add a bit more iron and then re-dip.

When you’re satisfied with the color, rinse and squeeze as much of the excess liquid out as possible. Then allow the fabric to dry out of direct sunlight.

Note, iron is a mild skin irritant and it will turn the skin around your nails a dark brown/black. I definitely recommend wearing gloves when working with iron water.

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

How to Bundle Dyeing (with Kids)

natural dye, bundle dye, ecoprint

In this tutorial, I will show you how to bundle dye with flowers and food waste.

Bundle dyeing, also known as eco printing, is a natural dye method that involves laying plant material (dye stuff) onto a piece of fabric, rolling it, bundling it with string then steaming or submerging the bundle in hot water.

Flowers, leaves, bark, food waste or dye extracts and can all be used to create beautiful bundle dyes. There are various ways to roll a bundle to achieve different patterns and results.

I’m always looking for ways to allow my son to be more involved in my dyeing process and I’ve found that bundle dyeing is a great option. It allows him to have a hands-on sensory experience while creating something that he will be able to wear or use.

Bundle dyeing is also an excellent method for covering stains on a well loved t-shirt. For this tutorial I will be covering stains on a few of my son’s favorite white tees.

Supplies:

  • Mordanted fabric or clothing
  • Food waste, flowers, leaves or other dye material
  • Cotton string
  • Pot & lid that will not be used to cook food again
  • Steaming tray or basket

For more on mordanting, check out this post on how to pre-treat fiber with soy milk or click here for a mordanting tutorial.

Step 1

Gather your dye stuff. For this tutorial I have used food waste (red and yellow onion skins, avocado skins + blueberries) and flowers (sulphur cosmos, bitterweed + coreopsis).

Berries are known as a fugitive dye which means the color they give will fade. I chose to include them in this project because it was more about having fun and being creative than the final product. I also knew my son would enjoy squishing them (he totally did).

Step 2

Dampen fabric by soaking it in water for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Remove the fabric from the water and wring it out well. Then lay it on a flat surface, smoothing out as many wrinkles as possible.

Step 4

At this point, there are a couple options. You can lay dye stuff on half of the fabric then fold the blank part over to cover it. This will create a mirror image on the two sides of your fabric. Or you can lay your dye stuff on the entire piece of fabric.

When I am working with a large piece of fabric I will often choose to create a mirror image. However, for smaller pieces I often choose to cover the entire piece with dye stuff.

Step 5

There are also a couple of options when it comes to rolling and bundling your fabric.

Option 1:

Roll your fabric up as tightly and evenly as possible. It should look long and thin, like a snake. Then starting at one end, tightly roll it again so that it looks like a disc with a spiral in the center.

how to bundle dye, natural dye
first roll
  • second roll

Option 2

This option works best for small pieces or if your fabric has been folded in half.

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Lay a stick or dowel down at one end of your fabric then roll your fabric tightly around it.

Step 6

Secure the bundle with cotton string.

Step 7

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Place the bundle into the steamer, cover and steam for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Check on the water level often to be sure it doesn’t run out – fabric will burn.

Step 8

Allow the bundle to rest for hours before unrolling. I like to let mine sit overnight.

Step 9

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Unroll your bundle and remove the dye stuff. It can be rinsed right away or you can let it sit and cure for a day or so before rinsing.

Enjoy your bundle wrapped goodies!

how to bundle dye, natural dye
Shirt that was bundled with onion skins, avocado peels and blueberries
how to bundle dye, natural dye
Shirt that was dyed with flowers

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers