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!