Category: Dyeing with plants
-
Dye plants in winter: Dyeing with spruce + how to identify conifers
Whether it's an old Advent wreath or prunings from your garden, you can dye with the needles of native conifers! These evergreen plants are some of the few dye plants to be found in winter (and throughout the rest of the year). Here are my tips for dyeing with spruce.
-
Dyeing with invasive knotweed
The invasive knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a plant originally native to East Asia. Perhaps the name already makes you nervous? For many, this plant comes to mind thinking of 'invasive neophytes' in the plant world. But it was deliberately introduced to Europe in the 19th century as an ornamental and fast-growing crop plant. Get to know this plant, as a dye and its other uses!
-
Dyeing with fruit pruning: apple, cherry and plum tree
Did you know that you can dye with fruit cuttings? Using twigs or branches from the many fruit trees that are pruned every year - usually in winter, when there are hardly any other dye plants outside. Some trees are even pruned again after the harvest. So lots of potential for the dye pot!
-
Kitchen dyes: Dyeing with pomegranate
Pomegranate as a dye? There are quite a few fugitive plants found in our kitchens. That are so inviting especially for first dye experiments, like red cabbage or beet root – yet not colourfast. But pomegranate peels are a trustworthy and traditional source of dye.
-
Tools & equipment to get started with natural dyeing
We have already discussed this quite a few times in the workshops: What equipment do you really need as a beginner in natural dyeing?
-
Dyeing easter eggs with plants
Dyeing Easter eggs with plants can be a simple and exciting project with kids - or you something you do just by yourself (perhaps for your inner child) as I did.