Making Your Own Dye From Flowers

When ordering a bouquet of flowers or even when you receive them as a gift, you may have been captivated by a particular flower's sharp colour.  Enough so that you may even hope to harness that very colour for yourself and use it to enhance other parts of your life.  As you carefully position those flowers in just the right room, you begin to imagine all the uses you would have for that colour.  The good news is that it's not just possible to extract the colour dyes from flowers, plants and berries but it's also quite simple.  In addition, you won't need any fancy or expensive equipment to get the job done.  After making your first few colours, you can even consider combining some of them to create new colours if you like.  Continue reading to find out how to extract the dye from flowers as well as the advantages of using this natural dye as opposed to synthetic dyes on the market today.

What you will need:

-         Plant material of your choice (plants, flowers, berries)

-         A sharp knife or food processor

-         An old pot

-         A strainer

-         An old container

-         A wooden spoon

Instructions:

-         Choose the plants, flowers and / or berries you wish to use and separate them according to colour

-         Chop the plant material up with a sharp knife or food processor before placing them in an old pot.  Use an old pot since it may remain stained. 

-         Cover your chopped up plant material with double its volume in water.  Bring to a boil while stirring.

-         Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately one hour.

-         Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

-         Separate the liquid by straining it into an old container.  Press all of the liquid out of the plant material by using a wooden spoon or something similar.

-         Use this fresh, natural dye on light cotton, silk or natural yarns.  When you want to use dye made from berries, you should simmer the material you want to dye in a mixture of half a cup of salt and 8 cups of water.  For dyes made from other plant material, simmer the material you want to dye in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 4 cups of water for one hour.

-         Soak the fabric in the dye overnight before rinsing and allowing to dry naturally.

  

Advantages of using natural dyes:

-         Your options in terms of colour varieties are almost limitless.

-         You can even grow your own plants and flowers which will mean extra self-sufficiency.

-         As you simmer the plant materials to extract the dye, your home will be filled with the beautiful aromas of those plants and flowers.

-         You can get creative with your designs and even make your own new colour combinations.

-         Synthetic dyes require precise measuring while natural dyes do not.

-          Natural dyes actually mature with time and exposure to sunlight.

-         Colours extracted from nature seem to work better in terms of fashion and will rarely clash.

It might seem like a bit of a process and buying a synthetic dye that kind of resembles the colour you want could be tempting.  However, with just a bit of time and patience, natural dyes will yield better results in the long run.  Everything seems to be moving at the speed of light these days and we expect to perform tasks in an instant.  That's exactly why we need to stop sometimes and appreciate everything that nature has to offer.  Instead of letting unused material become forgotten in the back of your closet, make your own dye and change the material's colour to suit your needs.  It is also a great way of taking your mind off of your regular chores and responsibilities while making something practical as well.