Natural Dye Recipes for Beginners

From Kitchen to Color

You don't need exotic materials to start natural dyeing. Your kitchen already contains ingredients that produce beautiful, lasting colors on natural fibers.

Avocado Pink

Save 5-6 avocado pits and skins (from about 5 avocados). Clean thoroughly, place in a pot with water, and simmer for 1 hour. The water turns deep red. Add mordanted fabric and simmer 30 minutes. Result: a beautiful dusty pink to blush that deepens with iron afterbath.

Turmeric Gold

Use 2 tablespoons ground turmeric per liter of water. Simmer 30 minutes, add mordanted fabric. Produces brilliant yellow-gold. Note: turmeric fades with washing — use for items that won't need frequent laundering.

Onion Skin Orange

Collect outer skins from 10-15 yellow onions (save them in a bag over weeks). Simmer 1 hour in water until the liquid is deep amber. Add mordanted fabric for warm orange-gold. Red onion skins produce deeper, more purple tones.

Black Bean Blue

Soak a bag of black beans overnight (save the beans for eating). The soaking water is your dye bath. Add mordanted fabric and leave overnight for a beautiful blue-gray. Modify with vinegar for purples or baking soda for greens.