We all have our own style and color preferences, distinct hues that catch our attention. Wearing natural fabric dyes garments is a great way to make your style stand out. So, how do they get made with natural clothing dye? Let’s keep an eye on the article below with Dugarco.
1. Natural fabric dyes definition and natural dye chart
Natural fabric dyes are any dyed product created from natural components such as plants, flowers, and foods. Tea leaves are also a great source of natural color. Natural colors, unlike synthetic dyes, are free of hazardous chemicals and carcinogens, none of which you want to breathe in or have on your hands or clothes. You also don’t have to worry about them harming the environment because they’re produced from organic components.
When it comes to organic substances that may be utilized to manufacture natural dyes for cotton, silk, linen, and other fabric dyeing applications, you have a plethora of alternatives. What you pick is determined by the color you want to create as well as what is accessible to you. Here are some ideas for making various diy dye fabric colors:
| Color | Materials |
| Red | Raspberries and beets |
| Red and pink | Fresh beets or powdered beetroot, pomegranates, red and pink rose petals, avocado pits |
| Red-brown | Pomegranates, beets, bamboo, hibiscus (reddish color flowers), bloodroot |
| Red-purple | Red sumac berries, daylilies, basil leaves, pokeweed berries, huckleberries |
| Pink | Berries, red and pink roses, cherries, avocado skins, and seeds |
| Peach color | Sohiong (Blackberry from Meghalaya) |
| Orange | Onion skins, carrots, turmeric, butternut seeds, husk, or gold lichen |
| Bright yellow | Turmeric |
| Yellow-ochre | Lemon and orange peels |
| Yellow | Marigolds, sunflower petals, paprika, celery leaves, bay leaves, dandelion flowers, celery leaves, lilac twigs, Queen Anne’s Lace roots, mahonia roots, barberry roots, yellowroot roots, yellow dock roots |
| Green | Spinach leaves, mint leaves, lilacs, artichokes, artichokes, sorrel roots, snapdragons, grass, nettles, plantain, peach leaves |
| Blue | Blueberries and blackberries, elderberries, red mulberries, purple grapes, dogwood bark |
| Indigo blue | Sapphire berries, purple cabbage, woad, black beans |
| Purple | Red cabbage leaves |
| Brown | Dandelion roots, walnut hulls, oak bark, tea, coffee, acorns |
| Nutmeg brown | Onion skin |
| Reddish-brown | Beetroot |
| Grey-black | Blackberries, iris root, walnut hulls |
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2. Instruction to make natural fabric dyes
The method of creating natural fabric dyes is much simpler than you may expect. And after you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to dye garments with your handmade products—all without using any chemicals.
- Step 1 – Gather Your Dyestuff and Other Required Tools: The first step in learning how to manufacture natural dyes for cloth is deciding which organic components to utilize. Most of the time, this will rely on the colors you want to produce, but you could also simply use what you have lying around the home and see what colors you can come up with. A saucepan and a heat source, such as a hotplate or your kitchen stove are also required.
- Step 2 – Extracting: The process of converting organic resources into dye is known as “extraction,” since you are removing the product’s natural hues. You have a couple of alternatives for extracting. Spencer suggests putting your item and cool water in a jar and leaving it on a ledge for a week or two to let the light do the work. Even an overnight soak can provide you with usable color.
- Step 3 – Customize Your Colors (Optional): If you’re not completely satisfied with the colors you’ve achieved—or if you just want to experiment a bit more—you may change the hues by adjusting their pH levels. Many natural dyes are pH sensitive, allowing you to alter the hue by adding anything acidic (like lemon juice or vinegar) or alkaline (like baking soda). If you want to deepen your dye, adding anything that rusts are a smart method to achieve so.
3. How to store natural fabric dyes
After you’ve spent the time, effort, and money to develop your natural dye cabinet, it’s time to ensure that they’ll last as long as possible without losing their potency.
- Keeping freshly harvested natural fabric dyes: Gently shake the plant materials to eliminate any insects. Consider freezing lush, juicy foliage and blossoms in well-labeled ziplock bags if you have them. Wet plant material molds and rots; to avoid this, distribute your drying materials thinly and evenly.
- Dried natural fabric dye colors purchased from a shop: Light and moisture are the most dangerous enemies of natural dyes. So keep them in a dark, dry, and cold area. Glass jars are ideal for storing dried colors in a safe and moisture-free environment. Even if your dyes come in a decent ziplock or resealable pouch, I recommend placing the entire packet in a jar.
- Keeping Dye Extracts Safe: Dye extracts are extremely sensitive to moisture, and for some, such as weld and madder, it is nearly impossible to keep them from turning rock hard over time. We have a dehumidifier in my workshop, where moisture levels are usually high owing to the natural environment and the amount of water we heat for dye projects, and we keep extracts in special vats with a double closure.
>>>> CLICK HERE: 4+ important raw materials for garment manufacturing
4. How to use natural dyes for fabric
Before diving into the world of natural fabric dyes, it’s essential to keep two crucial points in mind. Firstly, natural dyes adhere most effectively to fabrics of a natural origin. Cotton, linen, wool, and silk fall into this category due to their high microscopic porosity, unlike polyester, which doesn’t share the same affinity. Secondly, prepare yourself for a touch of unpredictability in achieving your desired color. Factors ranging from water pH to the origin of your black beans can influence the final hue. Especially if you’re a first-time dyer, predicting the exact outcome might be challenging. Embrace the unexpected—your blue might turn a tad more gray or even venture into a delightful green! That’s all part of the excitement. Now, let’s delve into the five bold steps you’ll need to follow for a natural dyeing adventure, with all the necessary supplies highlighted in bold. Remember to wear gloves to avoid staining your skin and protect your work surface with an old cloth or plastic sheet.
- Step 1: Equip yourself with gloves and a sizable stockpot. In that pot, mix a few tablespoons of soda ash and a dash of regular fabric detergent for every gallon of boiling water needed to fill it up. Gently introduce your fabric into this bubbling potion and let the heat work its charm. Stir occasionally, channeling your inner chef, as the concoction simmers away for approximately two hours. Once the fabric has marinated in this spa-like treatment, drain and give it a refreshing rinse. Voilà, your fabric is now prepped and ready for its vibrant makeover!
- Step 2: You must set your dyes before you can use them on natural fabric dyes. This is accomplished by putting a fixative, also known as a mordant, to your cloth dyeing. Both salt and vinegar are natural fixatives that work well with these colors, with salt being suitable for dyes created from fruits and berries and vinegar being ideal for dyes made from plants.
- Step 3: Delving into the second sophisticated process, it essentially involves immersing the fabric in a fixative to ensure the dye adheres effectively. The fascinating aspect lies in the array of mordant choices available. A quick consultation with Google will guide you in determining the optimal mordant based on the specific food and fabric involved in your dyeing project. However, for those seeking a straightforward option without extensive research, consider alum—an eco-friendly mordant readily accessible in the spice aisle of your local grocery store.Maintaining the precautionary gloves from the earlier scouring step is a wise move. Begin by blending a few teaspoons of alum into a cup of boiling water, seamlessly incorporating it into a stainless steel pot filled with cool water. Submerge the fabric in the mixture and gently bring it to a simmer for an hour. It’s important to note that if you opt for alum as your mordant, designate a pot exclusively for this purpose and refrain from using it for culinary endeavors. Conclude the process with a thorough rinse to unveil your beautifully mordanted fabric.
- Step 4: Gently pour the vibrant food dye liquid into a spacious container, whether it’s a bucket or one of the trusty stock pots you’ve employed in this creative venture. Immerse the fabric into the pool of color, ensuring there’s ample dye for the fabric to gracefully navigate; a little freedom ensures a delightful tie-dye pattern (which can add a charming touch!). Let the magic unfold for at least an hour, or allow it to work its wonders overnight. When you’ve achieved the desired hue, rinse the fabric under a cool stream of water and let it air-dry. While the color may slightly lighten, rest assured, it will adhere beautifully.
- Step 5: Remove your natural fabric dyes after you’re satisfied with the color and pattern. Allow it to dry completely before ironing on high heat to permanently set the colors.
6. Some vibrant natural dyed fabrics
Color is unique itself. Making color using natural dyes allows you to have a direct relationship with your resources as an artist. And each of these elements, each dyestuff utilized, has the potential to open up a new universe. Natural fabric dyes are made from leaves, bark and wood, roots, flowers, fruits and nuts, minerals, and insects. These are only a few examples of traditional materials that have been used for thousands of years.
5. The difference between Natural Fabric Dye and other dyes
Other fabric dyes are widely used in the garment industry. However, it uses too much water in the water treatment process. That affects freshwater sources in human activities. In addition, the discharge of treated water also pollutes the environment as well as exposes toxic substances to human contact.
Natural fabric dyes, in their most basic form, are created from natural materials such as tree resin, chestnuts, rhubarb, indigofera leaves, or madder roots. However, to have a better understanding of what natural fabric dyes are, it is necessary to consider the benefits and downsides.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Because natural fabric dyes are derived from nature, they are harmless (if not treated with chemical mordants) and have little to no detrimental influence on human health. | Natural fabric dyes pigments provide the finest bonding properties with natural fabrics. This is a compelling case for moving away from clothes derived from fossil fuels; nevertheless, employing natural colors is less scalable in today’s modern fashion business. |
| While greenhouse gas emissions may still be produced in the production of natural dyes (to cultivate the raw ingredients), there are circumstances when plant-based dyes may be generated in a regenerative manner! | Not all nontoxic natural colors are vegan. Red dye, for example, is derived from cochineal insects! |
| Growing the raw materials required to generate natural fabric dyes can result in beneficial byproducts such as biofuel. | Most natural colors fade faster than natural fabric dyes and are thus more expensive for customers. |
Here is about natural fabric dyes and how to produce them. I hope to provide you with a wealth of relevant information and intriguing experiences. If you have any questions, please contact Dugarco as soon as possible.
Contact information:
- Address: 59 Đức Giang, Đức Giang, Long Biên, HN
- Phone: 024 3655 7930
- Email: dugarco@mayducgiang.com.vn
- Website: https://dugarco.com/en/
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Dugarco under the talented leadership and guidance of Mr. Hoang Ve Dung has gradually become a large Vietnam clothing manufacturer, supplying clothes for many famous brands from many different countries such as the UK, USA, and Australia.
