There are a lot of tutorials out there on how to naturally dye fabric, and I compiled my knowledge from a few different sources to write up this DIY. In the midst of this project, I also tried spinach and orange peels to create yellow and green dye, but to no avail. While I've read some blogs that fully condone those materials, it didn't really work out for me and I ended up with dirty looking yarn with little color difference. SO, here are a couple of dyes that DID work for me, and I loved the results!
This project will take about 2 hours. Most of it is just waiting around time when you can do other things, but give yourself time to be at home throughout the process.
This project will take about 2 hours. Most of it is just waiting around time when you can do other things, but give yourself time to be at home throughout the process.
Step 1:
Roll the amount of yarn desired, and tie at the ends so it doesn't get tangled. Then, boil a pot of soapy water and soak the yarn for about an hour.
Roll the amount of yarn desired, and tie at the ends so it doesn't get tangled. Then, boil a pot of soapy water and soak the yarn for about an hour.
Step 2:
Boil 2 pots of water. Add half the amount of coffee and turmeric to the pots of water (aka, if 6 cups of water add 3 cups of coffee grounds). Boil for about an hour.
Boil 2 pots of water. Add half the amount of coffee and turmeric to the pots of water (aka, if 6 cups of water add 3 cups of coffee grounds). Boil for about an hour.
Step 4:
Transfer the dye mixtures back to the pots and set to medium heat until boiling. Add some salt to each mixture - determine the amount based on how much water you have. I had about 4 cups of water and added 1/4 cup of salt - you do the math. Adding the salt helps the dye to stick to the yarn more effectively. Add the pre-washed yarn, and let simmer for an hour.
Transfer the dye mixtures back to the pots and set to medium heat until boiling. Add some salt to each mixture - determine the amount based on how much water you have. I had about 4 cups of water and added 1/4 cup of salt - you do the math. Adding the salt helps the dye to stick to the yarn more effectively. Add the pre-washed yarn, and let simmer for an hour.
Step 3:
After an hour, take the yarn out of the soapy water and rinse in cold water. Then, drain the coffee and turmeric mixtures through a strain. For the coffee, I also strained it through a coffee filter since the grounds are tricky to get rid of.
After an hour, take the yarn out of the soapy water and rinse in cold water. Then, drain the coffee and turmeric mixtures through a strain. For the coffee, I also strained it through a coffee filter since the grounds are tricky to get rid of.
Step 5:
Remove the yarn from the dye mixture and rinse in cold water. Wash it soap, if needed, to remove excess dye.
Remove the yarn from the dye mixture and rinse in cold water. Wash it soap, if needed, to remove excess dye.
That's it! The coffee dyed yarn will have a very subtle effect. I soaked mine for less than an hour, so the color is very subdued. I you want a deeper brown, just soak it a little longer. Have fun trying this with lots of different materials! Any spices that have a unique color, would probably work great for this.