Five Natural Ingredients That Can Help Create Eco-Friendly Fabric Dye

Make eco-friendly fabric dyes at home to color clothes from natural ingredients like plants and food.

Fruits, veggies, and flowers can be used to produce natural dyes for fabrics like cotton, and the results look incredible without the use of any chemicals that are typically found in store-bought dyes. Natural dyes are best if you want to dye old clothes with children, and they are biodegradable, making them easily disposable. At the same time, your dye project will not be causing any harm to the planet. Check out some natural ingredients that help create organic fabric dyes at home.

Marigolds and Sunflower Petals for Yellow Dye

Dyers love pot marigolds and sunflowers for the stunning shades of yellow that their petals produce. The saturation level and shade of your natural dye will differ based on what fruit, plant, or flower you have picked and also the technique you are employing. You can further modify the colors by regulating their pH levels.

Dogwood Fruit and Bark for Blue Dye

You will not find anything blue on a dogwood tree, but it can be used to produce a blue dye. The dogwood tree’s bark can be used to derive blue dye, and the scralet red fruit that grows in autumn and winter can produce a greenish-blue dye. You can extract the dye by boiling the fruit or bark in water. Strain the color before using it on the fabric.

Foxglove and Leaves of Black-Eyed Susan for Green Dye

Both the leaves and flowers of Foxglove can be used to extract a stunning shade of green dye – but wear gloves while touching this plant because all parts of it are toxic. Similarly, you can use Black-eyed Susan to create a green dye. Gather the stems and leaves of the plant and boil them to extract a bright apple green or olive green dye.

Barberry Shrub and Bloodroot for Orange Dye

Barberry is a landscape shrub that bears dark red thorns and leaves and can grow under any condition. To extract the orange dye, gather any part of the plant and mix it with alum and boil it in water. On the other hand, Bloodroot plants store their sap in an orange-pigmented rhizome that grows on the surface of the soil or under it. To prepare the orange dye, you will have to collect the rhizomes and boil them in water.

Beet Roots for Red Dye

The cells of beetroot are quite unstable, and tend to leak when heated or cut. If you remove its skin while boiling, it will release more of its deep red pigment. If you want to achieve a dye that is reddish-purple, you must collect and boil rich red beets.

Say goodbye to chemical-laden dyes and prepare organic fabric dyes at home using these natural ingredients.