Garden Spaces: Make Natural Dyes

<p>Make natural dyes from plants with the help of these online resources:</p>
<p>• <a href=”http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1972-01-01/Homespun-Wool-and-Natural-Dyes.aspx?page=4″ target=”_blank”>Homespun Wool and Natural Dyes</a>: Learn more about mordanting, which is a chemical proces that enables colors to stick to wool rather than wash out and fade. Most of the time, you need to use mordant with your dyes. <br />
• <a href=”http://www.earthguild.com/products/riff/rmordant.htm” target=”_blank”>Mordanting for Natural Dyeing</a>: There are general rules for mordanting. Discover what they are and learn more about six different types of mordants.<br />
• <a href=”http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/make-natural-dyes-00400000018941/” target=”_blank”>Make Natural Dyes</a>: <em>Sunset</em> magazine offers do-it-yourself instructions to make your own natural dyes using onion skins and flowers, mordant-free.<br />
• <a href=”http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Natural-Dyes” target=”_blank”>How to Make Natural Dyes</a>: Check out wikiHow for step-by-step instructions on how to make natural dyes, also mordant-free.<br />
• <a href=”http://www.naturaldyes.org/instruction.htm” target=”_blank”>Instructions and Classes</a>: Visit even more links about natural dye instructions and classes courtesy Natural Dyes International, a non-profit organization for research and education on natural dyes and pigments.</p>
<h3>Read More</h3>
<p>To find out more about the process of mordanting and other steps for natural dying, try these two excellent volumes by Rita Buchanan.<br />
• <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Dyers-Garden-Growing-Natural-Fibers/dp/1883010071/ref=pd_sim_b_1″ target=”_blank”>
<em>A Dyer’s Garden</em>
</a> (Interweave Press, 1995)<br />
• <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Weavers-Garden-Growing-Plants-Natural/dp/0486407128″ target=”_blank”>
<em>A Weaver’s Garden</em>
</a> (Dover Publications, 1999)</p>
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<p>
<em>Kathleen Halloran is a contributing editor living and gardening in beautiful Austin, Texas.</em>
</p>
<p>Click here for the main article, <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/garden-spaces-plant-a-dye-garden.aspx”>
<strong>Garden Spaces: Plant a Dye Garden</strong>
</a>.</p>