DIY Cloth with flowers
RECENTLY we’ve been experimenting with the alternate uses of flowers and how we can recycle our flower waste. One fun experiment was dyeing cloth with flowers - although the results are not long lasting and will fade on washing, it’s a fun experiment to try at home!
Also read - How to make Organic Holi colors from Flowers
INSTRUCTION FOR DYEING CLOTH WITH FLOWERS -
Preparing the Dye:
- Collect flowers and separate the petals
- Put them in a non reactive vessel, then add water and simmer over a low heat for 2-3 hours.
- Turn off the heat and let the colors cool and cover the vessel to steam the petals
- Strain the pigments into a different bowl to separate the petals.
Preparing the cloth:
This process is called “Mordanting” the fabric. It prepares the cloth to absorb the color better and more evenly.
- Mix a small amount of alum and cream of tartar in water and submerge your cloth in that. Cloth should be able to move freely.
- Heat for 2-3 hours over low heat.
- Turn off the heat and leave it overnight in a covered container.
- Rinse the fabric next day to get rid of excess alum.
Dyeing:
- Add your mordanted cloth to the dye bath and simmer over a low heat for 2-3 hours (or until the dye mostly evaporates)
- Turn off the heat, cover the vessel and let it cool
- Remove your cloth from the dye bath and let it dry. Don’t put it in direct sunlight.
You’re done! Let us know how your cloth turned out by sharing a picture with us and what you discovered along the way!
*Note -
This is not a long lasting dye and will fade on washing. Any exposure to detergent,Acidic/basic substances like lemon, baking soda etc will affect the pH and cause the cloth to change color.