DYEING FABRIC INSTRUCTIONS:

To start, you want to work with natural fibers. Silk, cotton, and linens are great. Figure out the colors you’d like to get. This is where the fun comes in. Avocados make a really pretty mauve/pink color. Onions make an awesome yellow/green color. Blueberries make purple. Black beans make a beautiful blue. Beets turn fibers pink. Turmeric turns them a vibrant yellow. Spinach/Spirulina create a soft green. Coffee creates a tan. Tea makes a more creamy tan. The list can go on and on. It’s also fun to experiment. Try herbs and spices, different berry mixtures. Even some flowers can give you amazing colors. Just have fun with it.

Next, make a pre dye bath for your fabrics. This will help keep the colors strong. To do this you need to use alum (potassium aluminum sulfate - it can be found on Amazon). Add a tablespoon of alum to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Pre soak your fabric and then place in simmered alum bath for an hour. Note: this step isn’t necessary, but it does help hold color. After your fabrics are pretreated, you can now start your color dye bath. Please follow the instructions on the right accordingly.

COLOR OPTIONS:

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AVOCADO Keep your avocado skins and pits and make sure they are cleaned. You can freeze them as you save them, so they don’t get moldy if you’re not ready to use them yet. Once you’re ready to dye your fabric fill a pot with water and add the avocado skins and pits. Bring the water to a simmer (it’s important not to have it boil. It will turn your beautiful mauve pink into brown if it boils.) Let the avocado mix simmer for an hour. The longer it simmers, the more color it gives off. After an hour, remove it from the heat and add your fabric, making sure it’s completely covered. Let sit. The longer it soaks the darker the hues will become. When you are pleased with your color, rinse under cold water and hang dry.

BLACK BEANS In a large pot, add water and black beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and add your pre-soaked fabric to the dye bath. The longer it sits the darker your blue color becomes. Rinse in cold water and hang dry.

TURMERIC In a large pot, add water and two to three tablespoons of turmeric. Bring to boil and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add your fabric, let soak. Rinse under cold water. Hang dry.

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BEETS In a large pot, add water and skinned beets. Bring to boil and let simmer for 40-60 minutes. Remove from heat. Add fabric and let soak until desired color occurs. Run under cold water. Rinse and hang dry.

SPINACH/SPIRULINA In a pot on low heat, bring a cup of water and a cup of spinach to a simmer. This will release its green color. Add your presoaked fabric and a tablespoon or more of spirulina plus more water to cover fabric. Simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring often. Remove from heat and let sit overnight. Rinse in cold water and hang dry.

COFFEE This might be the easiest especially if you’re a coffee drinker and have some left in your pot! Either use what’s left or brew a stronger pot (a few pots if you are dyeing a lot of fabric). Once brewed pour coffee into a stainless-steel pot and add pre-soaked fabric. Let it soak until the desired color is achieved.

TEA Follow the same process for coffee. Fill a pot with water and add in tea bags. Let simmer for an hour and add your pre-soaked fabrics. Rinse and hang dry.

BLUEBERRIES In a large pot, add water and one to two cups of fresh or frozen blueberries. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Add your presoaked fabric and continue to simmer for one hour, stirring often. Remove from heat and let sit overnight. Rinse in cold water and hang dry.