What does a Garden Gnome do when she is not gardening, in the kitchen or doing genealogy? Well the answer might just surprise you so read the entries to find out more. This blog focuses on everything we do to make our house a home. There will be a strong emphasis on home energy efficiency and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. At the same time there will also be crafts, knitting and crocheting projects along with any other little tips we do to create that down to earth, I want to be here home. Please enjoy your visit :)




Sunday, May 16, 2010

How-To Make Your Own Natural Dye with the EtsyLabs

Natural, eco-friendly dyes are as close as your own back yard.  They can be used to dye yarns, cloth and even clothes much the same as you would using a commercial dye product.  Natural dyes can also be used to paint wood projects.  In fact one green idea I saw on HGTV used red wine to stain the hardwood floor.  A protective finish was applied.  It really was gorgeous!  So think outside of the box when using natural dyes.  Here is a short video of the process of making a natural dye along with the results.




According to the Pioneer Thinking article, Natural Dyes from Plants, the plant, berry or nut material should be collected then the dye made using twice the amount of water to plant material.  The material to be dyed should be soaked in a fixative before dying.  For berry dyes use 1/2 c salt to 8 c cold water as a fixative; for plant dyes use 4 parts cold water to 1 part white vinegar.  This article also has a large list of plants, nuts and berries that can be used as natural dyes with their resulting colours.  It is well worth printing out for further reference.

Garden Gnome
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