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

Soy Milk as a Natural Dye Binder

How to Pretreat Fabric with Soy Milk
Mordanting is an important step in the natural dyeing process. It is a pre-treatment that facilitates a stronger bond between the fiber and the dye. Soy isn’t actually a mordant but it does act as a binding agent between the fabric and dye. It is one of my favorite methods because it is non-toxic and fairly easy. I like to use soy treated fabrics when I’m dyeing with pink and yellow dyes as it helps the color take on an earthier tone. In this tutorial I will show you how to pre-treat fiber with soy milk.

What you will need:

  • Dried soy beans or store bought soy milk
  • jar or bowl
  • stainless steel pot or plastic bucket
  • mesh strainer
  • nut milk bag or cheese cloth
  • blender
  • spoon
  • water

Step 1

To pretreat with soy milk you will need to make or buy unsweetened, unflavored soy milk. If you are going to use store bought soy milk, skip ahead to step 4.

How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

I prefer to make soy milk as it is very simple, less wasteful and much more cost effective. To make your own you will need organic dried soy beans, a bowl or jar, water and a blender.

Start by pouring the dried beans in to a bowl or jar and covering with water. I use about half a cup of soy beans to make a 3 gallon bucket of milk. You will want a 2:1 water to bean ratio.

soy milk binder for natural dye, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Leave the beans to soak for at least 12 hours. You will notice that they will become plump.

How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk, soy milk dye binder

Step 2

soy milk for natural dyeing, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the blender with a few cups of water. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.

Step 3

soy milk as a natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Strain the solids from the milk by pouring it through a nutmilk bag or a few layers of double cheese cloth. I like to pour over a mesh strainer to catch any spills.

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

After all of the milk has been strained, I squeeze my nut milk bag to get every last drop of liquid.

Step 4

soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Now the milk will need to be watered down. If you’re using store bought milk, add about 4 cups of milk for every gallon of water.

I don’t usually measure the amount of water I add at this point. Instead, I just fill the vessel I will use to mordant almost full with water.

Stir well to combine the milk and water.

Hooray! You’ve made soy milk!

Optional Step

At this point, I like to add tannin to my soy milk. It is completely optional but I find that it helps create deeper colors.

My favorite tannin to use is gallnut because it is the clearest tannin.

If you’d like to add tannin to your soy milk follow these simple steps:

  • Add a few tablespoons of tannin to a bowl or jar
  • Mix with hot water to dissolve
  • Mix with cold water to cool
  • Mix tannin mixture into soy milk

Step 5

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

At this point, you can enter your pre-dampened fabric into the soy milk.

Store the milk in a cool place and allow the fabric to soak for at least 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

Remove the fabric from the soy milk and wring as much of the milk out as possible. Running the fabric through a spin cycle in the washing machine works well to remove the excess liquid.

Hang or lay flat to dry.

Step 7

When the fabric is dry, dip it into the same soy milk that you previously used. Swoosh it around for a minute or two to make sure that it is evenly coated.

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Repeat steps 6 & 7 three or four times. Then, allow the fabric to sit and cure for at least one week before dyeing.

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

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers