Dyeing with natural dyes at home. How to dye woolen threads with food dyes How to dye woolen items at home

01.05.2024 -

If you are dyeing wool for the first time, it is better to use only one color, and once you get the hang of it, you can safely mix colors. The best container for plain wool is a small silicone mold or plastic container. Place the wool in the mold so that the material fits completely into the container. Then mix 1 cup of water and 0.5 cups and pour into the mold, then gently press the wool to the bottom of the mold with a spatula, completely immersing it in, and leave for 30 minutes. After this time, add a glass of water at room temperature and 30 drops of dye to the container (it is convenient to use liquid dye for soap base), stirring with a spatula, carefully distribute the dye. Perform this procedure carefully so as not to tangle the fur. Experiment with the amount of dye: the more dye, the richer the color of the coat. When the dye is completely absorbed and the wool acquires a uniform color, cover the mold with a lid and microwave for 5 minutes. Then wait until the mixture has cooled to room temperature before opening the lid. Remove the wool from the mold and place it in a large bowl or basin and rinse thoroughly with room temperature water. When the water has stopped staining the wool, the fibers are ready for drying, as they have completely absorbed the pigment. To dry, spread the wool on paper towels or plastic and leave to dry. Wool takes quite a long time to dry, so it is very convenient to leave the material to dry overnight.

If you want wool in several colors at once, you need to soak the material in warm water for about ten minutes. During this time, you can dilute the dyes. Use acid powder dye as it is ideal for dyeing wool. Dilute the dye in warm water - the brighter the color you want, the more dye powder you add. When the dye has completely dissolved, pour the mixture into a spray bottle (this device is very convenient for dyeing wool in several colors at once). Add table vinegar there - the proportions are 50/50, shake thoroughly. Prepare the rest of the dyes in the same way. Typically, three colors of the same range are used for painting, for example, blue, purple, pink - this helps to create a gradient effect. When ready, lay the wool on cellophane and start spraying paint from a spray bottle, do this sequentially, mentally dividing the wool into three equal parts, each of which needs to be sprayed with a certain color. After the wool is well saturated with paint, take one edge of the cellophane and roll the material into a tight roll. Place the roll in a plastic bag, which in turn must be simmered in a water bath for about 20 minutes. Rinse the cooled wool and lay it out to dry.

Attention. The most natural color of wool is the color of the wool itself; all methods of dyeing or bleaching, especially chemical ones, somehow harm the wool. Boiling and dyeing tangles the fibers making them stiffer and more brittle. This is important if you want to dye, for example, a down scarf. Naturally, painting with natural dyes is more preferable. If you're dyeing wool for the first time, be sure to try on a small piece first.

Products made from natural goat fluff have long been dyed using natural dyes, using decoctions of herbs, berries, tree bark and other plant components. Listed below are a variety of plants that provide their own color. All dyes produce one or another shade of paint depending on the amount of dye in relation to the amount of wool. Those. The more dye there is, the brighter the color will be. The combination of different colors gives different shades. You can experiment endlessly. The color of the coat you get can be seen by the color of the water before adding the wool (the color of the coat will be lighter than the color of the water). You can remove the wool from the solution until the end of the procedure if you think that the saturation is enough for you. If the water has not become discolored after removing the wool, you can only dye it in a lighter shade. Before dyeing a large amount of wool, a down scarf or a woolen product, be sure to conduct an experiment, for example, on a small amount of wool.

Red
– buckthorn (wolfberry): young leaves and branches are used before flowering;
– elderberry: ripe berries are used;
– oregano: the herb used.

Yellow
– birch: bark (yellowish tint) and leaves (bright color) are used;
– wormwood: grass is used (the color comes out straw);
– poplar: buds are used;
– nettle: roots are used;
– buckthorn: fresh bark is used (dried bark gives a brown tint);
– orange or lemon peel;
– carrots, turmeric (ground) and cumin (jeera).

Brown
– oak: leaves and bark of the tree are used;
– mosses and lichens growing on stones;
– dried buckthorn bark;
– horse sorrel root dug up in the fall;
– basma;
- strong coffee.

Orange pink the color will come from mixed carrots, orange peel and one tablespoon of cinnamon.

For tender brick red For color, beets are useful, and for dark purple, red onion peels.

Blue
– blackberries;
– blueberries;
– meadow sage: grass is used;
– Ivan da Marya (flowers);
– quinoa seeds;
– red cabbage.

Green
– elderberry leaves;
– sorrel leaves;
– juniper berries;
– inner bark of bird cherry and poplar;
– spinach (you can add ground turmeric to it).

Grey
– periwinkle: grass is used (the color is dark gray);
– spruce bark;
– bearberry leaves (light gray color)

Black color will give maple leaves.

Orange
– wild apple bark;
– leaves and stems of celandine.

Golden brown
– dry onion peel;
– henna;
– black tea (infusion).

Dyeing wool with natural dyes

Wool dyed with natural dyes does not lose its properties, and the color is bright and durable. In order to get a good coloring solution, you need to try a little: it is boiled several times. The colored water is poured into a container where the product will be painted, and the remaining raw materials are again filled with water and boiled - and so on until all the color is boiled off.

To dye the wool, it is necessary to boil it in the prepared solution over low heat for one to two hours, stirring constantly. Do not keep wool on the fire for too long, otherwise the fibers may become tangled and coarser. When the wool reaches the desired color, remove the container from the heat and let cool. Then you need to wash the product or yarn until it stops being dyed - and then dry it in the fresh air.

In order to achieve a more saturated color and further consolidate the shade, you can add a mordant to the solution during the dyeing process. Mordants are special substances that enhance the durability of dye on wool. Thanks to mordants, wool fibers become less sensitive to light and moisture.

Mordants can be natural or chemical. The first include tea leaves, mosses, and acorns (these components contain a small amount of alum). For etching with natural substances, a solution is prepared: per 100 grams of wool, take 50-100 grams of the desired plant and boil over low heat under a lid for about 45 minutes. After the solution has cooled, the wool is immersed in it. Over low heat, the liquid is heated, but not brought to a boil, for another 45 minutes.

Chemical mordants are alum (an absolutely safe substance that can be bought in pharmacies), cream of tartar (which can be found in supermarkets) - a white powder obtained from grape acid after fermentation, copper sulfate (copper sulfate) and ferrous sulfate (ferrous sulfate) – sold in stores for summer residents, acetic acid. For chemical mordanting, the wool or dyed item is removed from the solution, where the mordant is added, and then dipped back into the solution. It is very important during the pickling process to constantly stir the wool and turn it over in the solution - this will help avoid stains.

Chemical dyeing of wool

Chemical dyes – aniline dyes – are also used to dye wool and products made from it. The method for preparing the solution and dyeing wool is indicated on the packaging of the substance. You need to remember a few important rules that will help you in coloring. Pay attention to the container in which you are going to dye the wool: it should be voluminous so that the product or skein of wool lies freely there. It is best to choose an enamel container. Before dyeing, it is important to wet the wool thoroughly, and it should be completely immersed in the dyeing solution so that even a small corner does not rise above the surface of the solution.

The solution is prepared as follows. The powder from the bag is dissolved in half a liter of boiling water, stirred well and allowed to settle and cool for a while. After this, you need to strain the mixture through 2-3 layers of gauze and pour it into a container for coloring (the water temperature should not be higher than room temperature). Immerse six in the resulting solution and bring it to a boil. The entire procedure - from the moment the product is immersed in the dye solution until the end of painting - should not take more than 40 minutes. Wool or your woolen product must be constantly stirred in the solution, as it will float to the top. Wool absorbs the dye and the water in which the product or skein of wool is located will gradually begin to lighten - this is a sure sign that the dyeing process is going correctly. To speed up the process, you can add a little vinegar to the water (for example, to dye 500 grams of wool, half a glass of vinegar is used in half a bucket of solution). One part of the vinegar should be poured in at the beginning of coloring, the second at the end. If you dye wool in light colors, add vinegar only 25 minutes after the solution boils. Remove the wool, dyed in the desired shade, from the solution, let it drain thoroughly and cool. Then you need to rinse it thoroughly in several waters, adding vinegar to the last one.

Any thing can change its qualities over time due to frequent use, especially color. Clothes may fade, fray, or become stained. It also happens with woolen items, for example, sweaters or cardigans. It is quite difficult to purchase a really good product made from natural high-quality wool, since not everyone can afford the price of such clothing. But woolen clothes are practical (warm, soft and cozy), and rarely do any of us deny ourselves such pleasure.

If you really can’t bear to part with your favorite item, you can bring the item into proper shape yourself. One such way is to re-dye your sweater. At home, you should use special aniline dyes for yarn or natural dyes, that is, decoctions from tree bark, leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.

Dyeing a sweater with aniline dye

One of the most popular ways to return your favorite item to its proper form is to use aniline dye. You can find out more about the correctness of your choice from the seller, and choose a truly suitable product. Usually the client selects a shade identical to the product or a color close to it.

How to measure the required dose? First you need to determine the dry weight of the product. If you intend to radically change the color of your sweater, you must first bleach it using Persol. True, such an impact can have a detrimental effect on the overall condition of the product, since woolen items do not really like radical methods of influencing the fibers.

What should you do next? Place the sweater in a bowl of warm water and prepare the dye according to the instructions on the package. If you want to give things a more saturated shade, the dosage of the substance can be increased. Add the dye to an enamel container (for example, a deep saucepan), transfer the wet sweater there and boil on the stove. Boiling should be carried out over low heat, constantly turning and stirring the sweater. After 20 minutes of such actions, remove the product from the container, dilute kitchen salt in a bowl with the remaining liquid in the proportions of 50 g of crystals per 2 liters of solution, lower the product back into it and boil for another 20 minutes.

After turning off the stove, do not remove the sweater from the dish until the dye has cooled completely. Then you need to squeeze it out and then rinse it several times in cold water. During the last rinse, a few milliliters of table vinegar are added to the basin (to finally fix the paint). When all these steps are completed, gently wring out the sweater, getting rid of excess liquid with a towel, spread the product on a flat surface and leave to dry completely. To prevent the item from acquiring an unpleasant odor, it must be turned over occasionally.

How to dye a sweater with natural dye

To use natural dyes, you first need to prepare a decoction. The crushed plants are boiled in soft water and then allowed to brew. The next step is this: pour the broth over the product you want to paint and simmer over low heat for about an hour. After the boiling time has passed, leave the sweater in the solution until it cools completely. Then squeeze and rinse in clean cold water (as described above).

You can make the sweater deep black again or redye it from a different color using a regular alcohol-based wood stain. First, the product needs to be washed and rinsed well. We spread the clothes prepared for processing on a flat surface. Getting ready to apply the product: take rubber gloves, a piece of foam rubber and an alcohol substance. The sweater needs to be thoroughly soaked with stain on both sides. After an hour and a half, the product should be rinsed in running water, squeezed and soaked in a vinegar solution (200 grams of substance per 10 liters of water). After 60 minutes of soaking, wring out the item again. Be sure to rinse the sweater several times and dry thoroughly.

Remember that when using any of these dyeing methods there is a risk of hopelessly ruining the item, so try them only on those sweaters that, if anything, you wouldn’t mind throwing away.

To dye wool (felt) we will need:

1. Aniline dye.
2. Saucepan.
3. Measuring cups for paint (you can use disposable plastic containers)
4. Polyethylene for wrapping wool.
5. Vinegar.
6. Rubber gloves.
7. Syringe.

First, we measure out the required amount of wool for dyeing.

Fill the sink with hot water and add a little liquid soap. Place the wool in the sink and soak it in hot water for 1 hour.
At this time we prepare the dye. Buy ready-made dye specifically for dyeing wool.
Unfold the wool onto the plastic.

The wool should not drip.
Use a syringe to draw up the dye.

Multiple colors can be used. However, you need to remember that the colors will mix. And unexpected shades may appear. Remember that certain colors mixed together (like red plus green, orange plus blue, purple plus yellow, etc. will all produce some shade of brown).

Fold the polyethylene along the edges and begin rolling it together with the wool into a roll.

At this time, boil the required amount of water in a saucepan so that the arms with wool are completely immersed.

Place the rolls and simmer for 45 minutes. Check from time to time to ensure that the water does not boil away.
Again, fill the sink with hot water and add a little liquid soap.

Holding the edge of the plastic, carefully release the wool into the sink. The polyethylene can be thrown away.
Leave the wool in the sink for 15 minutes and drain the water. Next, you need to rinse the wool (felt) well in warm water and dry it in the washing machine in the drying mode.

This is what we got!

Fabric dyes

Is it possible to dye a knitted item???

It is better to use a basin or other capacious container, for example a large saucepan that is no longer needed in the household. Food cannot be cooked in such containers after chemicals have been used.

Tools and materials for dyeing wool:

— dyes (it’s better to take 2-3 shades);
- table vinegar;
- several spray bottles, one for each color;
- thick paper newspaper;
- measuring spoon;
- colander;
- pot;
- plastic film (you can take a special food film or cut the bag);
- combed bleached wool.

Let's discuss it right away safety precautions when dyeing wool. Wear gloves while dyeing, try not to inhale the powder, and keep children away too close. All utensils and tools that you used are not subject to further household use. Be sure to read the instructions on the jar of the product.

First, start preparing your workplace. Cover the surface with polyethylene, place a layer of newspapers on it (at least 1 cm). If you don’t want to do general cleaning, then wrap paper around all the items that are nearby. Cover the layer of newspapers again with film.

Technology for dyeing wool at home:

Before dyeing, soak sheep or dog hair in room temperature water. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes. At this time, you can dilute the dyes. The powder is mixed with warm water. It is better to use disposable dishes and spoons.

Stir thoroughly until the dye is completely dissolved. The amount of product depends on what color you want to get.

How to dye a sweater

The more powder you add, the darker the shade will be. Carefully pour the finished paint into a spray bottle. You can use a funnel to avoid getting dirty.

You need to add vinegar to the spray bottle. There are no strict guidelines on this matter, but the ratio of parts of water and acid should be approximately 5:1. At this stage, you can add liquid if you don't like the color. Mix the contents of the container again. This can be done in 2 ways: either use a stick or shake the closed sprinkler.

Let's return to wool. Take it out of the bowl and squeeze it out a little. Lay out the skein so that it fits on the film. Try not to leave holes or gaps, and straighten the fibers whenever possible.

Using a spray bottle, spray the dye onto the wool. Try to coat the fibers evenly. There should be enough liquid so that a small puddle forms under the comb tape. Just don't overdo it.

Wrap the wool in film, covering the edges tightly. Start rolling, squeezing out excess water as you go. The layer of newspapers that you laid at the very beginning will absorb the dye.

Now the wool should be scalded. For this we need boiling water. Place the roll in a colander and place it in the heated pan. Keep this structure on the fire for another 20-30 minutes so that the wool is well steamed. Then turn off the stove and let the fibers cool.

Rinse the cooled wool thoroughly with hot water and wash off excess paint. Don’t be afraid of staining the sink; quality products wash off easily.

After the skein is dry, it can be used. Now you have wool of the original shade in a single copy.

Repeated washing in a washing machine, especially with the use of bleaching additives, as well as bright sunlight reduces the color fastness of the fabric. Fabrics made from cotton fibers are especially susceptible to this. Paints fade or fade and fade, losing their former brightness.

The best solution to refresh the appearance of such fabric is to dry-clean such clothes. Dry cleaning uses special durable dyes and uses reliable technology, which guarantees almost factory-quality dyeing of fabrics.
However, you can dye old jeans or skeins of yarn at home using special aniline universal dyes intended for household use.

Not all fabrics can be dyed at home

Dyeing simple cotton clothes gives you the opportunity to add a new touch of color to your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Dying children's clothing dark colors can save items that have been badly stained and destined to be thrown away.
However, not all types of fabrics can be dyed at home. A number of fabrics with a high content of synthetic fibers cannot be dyed at home with aniline dyes. Even if the color of such fabrics changes, after the first wash the dye will be washed off and their shade will become an indefinite color.

To dye fabric made from synthetic fibers, special dyes and a special technology (temperature conditions, etc.) are used. At home, you can “confidently” dye only cotton and woolen fabrics, since the fibers of such fabrics absorb paint well and do not fade much after washing.

If you decide to get a set of fashionably colored T-shirts, buy a package of inexpensive white T-shirts and a set of universal dyes in a variety of colors. White is ideal for conveying the shade and color you want. Any other color of the fabric will make certain adjustments to the final dyeing result. Be prepared for the fact that colored clothing cannot be dyed to the perfectly “pure” color indicated on the dye package.

Fabric dyes

Fabric dyes come in powder or liquid form. Both of these types of dyes can be purchased at hardware stores.

Each package of dye comes with detailed instructions. Be sure to read it carefully before you start dyeing your fabric. The instructions indicate in what proportions to dilute the paint to water, what is the maximum weight of clothing or fabric, the number of skeins of wool that can be dyed in one bag, etc.

For example, consider two types of Russian-made dyes. Aniline dye for fabric "Lukar" is intended for home dyeing of wool and nylon fabrics, except lavsan and nitron. This dye can even be used to dye natural leather and fur. The paint packaging indicates the type of fabric and material that can be dyed, as well as the color and instructions.

Fabric dye "Universal" produced by "Tekhnokhim" (St. Petersburg) is suitable for dyeing fabrics made of cotton, linen, and viscose. To dye wool or silk fabrics, you need to buy a dye, the packaging of which will indicate “Dye for wool or silk.” There are many dye manufacturers, including foreign ones, producing paints for dyeing various clothes, fabrics, yarn, etc.

For example, you can buy a dye designed specifically for changing the color of denim or jeans. By the way, if your jeans not only require a color refresh, but also repair, then read the article “How to sew up a hole in jeans.” It discusses ways to restore torn and worn areas of jeans.

How to dye fabric at home

When dyeing fabrics, be sure to wear plastic or rubber gloves, otherwise you will have to walk around with multi-colored palms for many days. In addition, dye chemicals can cause irritation and even skin disease.

Fill the bowl with water. You can place it in the bathtub, but then you will have to work a little while washing it, so it is better to cover the area where the basin will be with film in advance.

Gradually, in small batches, pour the contents of the bag into the water, stirring constantly. Do not forget to first carefully read the instructions printed on the packaging, since each manufacturer may have different proportions of mixing paint with water and dyeing technology.

If you need to paint a lot of things, it is better to paint one at a time, avoiding overfilling the container. You should not dye fabrics in a washing machine; it will be almost impossible to remove the paint from the walls. It is better to use a basin or other capacious container, for example a large saucepan that is no longer needed in the household. Food cannot be cooked in such containers after chemicals have been used.
Make sure that the fabric is not stuck together or folded anywhere, otherwise there will be lighter areas on it after dyeing.

If you are going to paint something in one tone, place the item in a basin and move it in a circular motion so that the dye liquid completely saturates the item, otherwise there may be unpainted areas. Keep the product or fabric in the basin, stirring occasionally, until it takes on a slightly darker color than required. When completely dry, the fabric will lighten a little.
Some dye solutions need to be heated on the stove in a metal container (basin, pan). This should be indicated in the instructions. Make sure that when mixing, the paint does not get into food utensils.

This is how you can dye wool yarn, yarn for machine knitting.

Dyeing fabric at home

The contents of the package (10 grams), designed for 300-500 grams of clean dry wool or fabric, first dissolve in 0.5 liters of warm water (40 degrees). Then strain this dye concentrate through cheesecloth into an enamel non-food container and add enough water so that the material to be dyed is completely covered with the dye solution.
The total volume of the coloring solution should not exceed three liters. Be sure to add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar. Gently immerse the pre-soaked products in the dye solution and heat for 40 minutes at a temperature of 80-90 degrees over low heat, without bringing to a boil. Periodically turn the balls in the container.
Dry dyed skeins of wool or fabric in a shaded place, avoiding direct sunlight.

How to dye fabric with stains

In order to obtain various intersecting light stripes on a darker background after painting, twist the item intended for painting into a rope in such a way as if you were wringing it out after washing. Then place rubber rings on the tourniquet. Dip the rolled rope into the paint and keep it there until you achieve the desired color. The more rings there are, the more colored spots and stripes you will get as a result.

Mixing two colors together will result in a third color. For example, red and blue dyes form purple.

And one last useful tip: freshly dyed fabric usually fades a lot when washed. The first few times after you dye the fabric, wash the item only by hand, separately from other fabrics. Wash in cool water.

Dyeing fabric at home using aniline and other dyes will not be as durable and bright as factory dyeing of fabric. This is just a way to slightly refresh or darken soiled clothes, change the color and shade of fabric and woolen threads.

How to dye felt boots at home

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How to paint felt boots

This is not the first season that fashion designers have proven that felt boots are relevant, original and very comfortable in our climate. In shoe stores you will find felt boots of any color, but you can buy the simplest felt boots and design them yourself - this will be a real exclusive.

hair dye, acrylic paint, wool dye, fabric markers

Posting sponsor PG Articles on the topic How to paint felt boots How to repaint an item How to paint flowers How to remove acrylic paint

You can use hair dye. It should be diluted in cool water.

Acrylic paints are also suitable, preferably special ones for fabric, for example, for making batik. The paint should be applied with a sponge until the material is saturated. After drying (1-2 days), iron the felt boots so that the paint melts slightly.

You can also purchase wool dye. However, felt requires acid, so it is recommended to add vinegar to the dye solution.

How to dye wool

The paint mixture must be hot. After wearing felt boots, you should rinse them.

I want to paint my felt boots!

I want to decorate my felt boots. I just don’t know what kind of paints to use so that they don’t get dirty, last a long time, don’t run or fade. maybe someone can tell me? I don’t want to spoil the thing with my experiments. There are paints for patterns (such as for children's creativity), there are batik paints, and there are paints for painting suede shoes. There’s even a la oil gold one (well, we can make some kind of pattern.

Well, just buy wool dye, that’s what it’s called.

A 20-gram sachet costs no more than a hundred rubles. The package should also contain instructions: how much to dilute and what weight the products are designed for.

But only felt requires dyes acidic Therefore, add vinegar to the coloring solution. And paint in a very hot solution. And then rinse well.

And you don’t have to draw this pattern, but just lay it on.

Place a pattern of dyed wool (not in threads, but just wool) directly onto your blanket. And poke this pattern with a needle, thickly, thickly, often, often. The needle will drive the hairs into the finished felt and the pattern will grow tightly into the felt boots.

Felt boots are shoes for frost, not thaw. The sole is hemmed with leather to prevent it from getting wet, but this is not for deep urban puddles. In general, nothing better than galoshes has been invented in Rus'.

Well, try to buy Kotofeich boots or Finnish ones, Kuoma.

and if you line it with leather, it seems to me that the felt boots will immediately become slippery.

I haven’t come across wool dye, to be honest. Which stores usually sell it? also for creativity and artists?? — LeeAlena

* The skin will, of course, slip. It's two evils. But they don’t wear down so quickly. I just have a hard time imagining felted shoes with rubber soles. although, what the hell is not joking!

* Well, that’s what I called her, in a homely way, for her fur. More correct for woolen fabrics. There should be some in household chemicals, but of course. So, I scoured the Internet a little:

And I personally would take car paint in cans, make a couple of stencils, well, a dragonfly, a butterfly, and some parts can be made with acrylic, or for batik they also sell a special outline in tubes, they are of different colors, the image will be slightly three-dimensional.

Interesting. I need to paint boots for Santa Claus. =)

I saw the contours for batik, they should be washed off later. and the contours for stained glass, yes, they are voluminous :) Salamander paint, for example, in a can for suede or leather, don’t you think is an option at all?? There are also markers for fabric. I actually want to go to Gzhel. 😉 — LeeAlena

I haven’t come across fabric markers, but leather dye fades from the same leather and suede, I personally wouldn’t use it.

Good luck in your endeavors. =) — ivo

and tell me, you will have patent leather boots))))))))))))

Natural vegetable dyes - how to make, coloring with natural dyes

Natural vegetable dyes

Today, to dye wool, thread or any fabric, if you wish and have money, you can purchase aniline dye of almost any color. And nowadays they turn to us less and less often using vegetable dyes, which our ancestors used to successfully color fabrics (from linen, cotton and other natural fibers) and leather for many centuries. Although even now, certain plant dyes continue to be used in the production of carpets and for coloring food products. In fact, most plants contain dyes, but only those plants are classified as dyes if the dye content in them is sufficiently high, and the latter should provide long-lasting coloring.

What plants are advisable to use at home as starting material? for the preparation of natural vegetable dyes? For now, we will list only a few of them.

So, regular tea, as well as fir cones, will help you get a sandy color. Yellow color will be provided by yellow aspen, calendula, onion peel, heather, St. John's wort, celandine, meadowsweet (meadowsweet), fresh wild rosemary sprouts, alder and ash bark, and birch leaves.

Gray dye contains oak and alder bark (black and gray), as well as birch bark. Brown color will be given by bast, leaves of wild apple trees, onion peels (high concentration solution), willow bark, rowan, aspen, and spruce. Green paint is “found” in birch leaves, hay dust, tansy, potato and carrot tops, stems and leaves of tomatoes. The red color will be provided by the roots of bedstraw, St. John's wort, celandine, and buckthorn bark. Black dye is obtained from sorrel and St. John's wort, black alder bark, reed roots, and dried bean stalks left after harvesting.

Typically, during the dyeing process, a natural plant dye is fixed by adding one or another chemical (copper sulfate, vinegar, alum, etc.).

Technology for preparing natural vegetable dyes

Now let’s take a closer look at the technology for preparing coloring solutions from the most common plants. Please note that the dyeing solutions, the recipes for which are given below, are designed for dyeing 100 g of yarn. At the same time, to dye every 100 g of yarn, you need to have 3...4 liters of solution.

Spruce cones (young and old) are used for sand coloring. You will need 1500 g of cones and 20 g of alum (more on the latter a little later). The cones are finely crushed and boiled for 4 hours. The broth is filtered and alum is dissolved in it. The yarn is kept in this solution for approximately 30 minutes at a temperature close to the boiling point. If a darker tone is desired, add a little copper sulfate to the solution and continue processing the yarn at the same temperature for another half hour.

The bright yellow dye is obtained from fresh leaves. For 500 g of birch leaves take 20 g of alum. Fresh leaves are boiled for 1 hour. Dry leaves are first soaked for a day, after which they are boiled for 3...4 hours. The broth is filtered, the yarn is dipped into it and brought almost to a boil. In this mode, the yarn is processed for about 1 hour, stirring the skeins from time to time. Next, alum is added to the solution and the “heat treatment” is continued for another 30 minutes.

Onion peel

To prepare orange paint, 400 g of husk is soaked for 7 hours. Then the liquid is filtered and yarn is immersed in it, where the latter is kept for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, at a temperature as close as possible to the boiling point. To get a dark yellow color, you will need twice as much onion peel (800 g), and you will also need alum (15 g). The onion broth is boiled for 3...4 hours, filtered, and alum and yarn are added to it. Dyeing is carried out for approximately 1 hour at a temperature close to the boiling point.

Marsh rosemary

Based on this plant, it is possible to obtain coloring solutions of different colors. For example, to dye yarn sandy, 500 g of wild rosemary branches are soaked for a day. Then the infusion is heated almost to boiling point, skeins of yarn are dipped into it and kept there for 4 hours, maintaining the same temperature. If you add 1 teaspoon of salt to this broth, the yarn will turn scarlet.

To create green paint, take 400 g of wild rosemary and 15 g of potassium dichromate. Skeins of yarn are first kept for 2 hours in a solution of the latter at a temperature close to the boiling point, then dried. The wild rosemary itself is boiled for 3...4 hours, dried yarn is dipped into the cooled solution, the solution is brought to a boil, and then this temperature is maintained for about an hour. The solution is then cooled, the yarn is removed, rinsed in clean water and dried. The gray-brown color will be provided to the yarn by 400 g of wild rosemary and 15 g of alum. The yarn is first dipped into a solution of alum and brought to a boil (but not allowed to boil). Processing the yarn in the solution lasts half an hour. The wild rosemary is boiled for 3...4 hours, after which the broth is filtered and yarn is placed in it, the broth is brought to a boil, maintaining this mode for 1 hour.

Nettle

Nettle dyes the yarn a pleasant sandy color. For 500 g of dried nettle you will need 19 g of alum. First, alum is dissolved in water and the yarn is “treated” for some time in a solution heated almost to a boil. The nettle is soaked for 3...4 hours, boiled, the broth is filtered and yarn pre-treated with alum is placed in it. Bring the broth to a boil and continue dyeing the yarn at this temperature for 1 hour. Then the broth with the yarn is cooled, the yarn is rinsed and dried.

The collection of dye plants is carried out during the period when the “coloring” parts of the plants contain more dye. For example, leaves are harvested in the spring (after they are fully opened), flowers - immediately after the buds open. The roots are dug up either in the spring (shortly before the plants bloom) or in the fall. Many plants retain optimal coloring abilities all summer (stems and leaves of tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, sorrel, celandine, St. John's wort, mantle).

Plants are collected in dry weather and dried in the shade in a draft.

Dyeing wool at home

Dried plants are crushed and stored in a dry place in fabric or plastic bags.

As the above-mentioned fixatives for dyeing, aluminum or chromium-potassium alum (crystalline hydrates of double sulfate salts), copper sulfate and iron sulfate are used.

Alum is a white powder; it is used for painting in “light” colors (yellow, gray, scarlet). Copper sulfate, the crystals of which have a blue-green color, is used to obtain dark colors: yellow, green and brown. Ferric sulfate (yellow-green crystals) is used as a fixative for paints of brown, green or brick-red colors.

Table salt is also a fixative, which is necessary when dyeing cotton fabrics. The presence of salt when dyeing wool is not necessary. But vinegar is used as a fixative when dyeing fabrics, threads, and yarn of one kind or another. Typically, products painted with natural vegetable dyes do not fade. But it happens that their color fades in the sun. By the way, the color may change when washing dyed items with washing powder, especially when washing in hot water. For example, in this case, the blue color may turn into khaki. When washed with soap, the color of dyed wool items remains unchanged.

Generalized information about dyeing plants and the features of their use is given in the table.

Plants used for dyeing, timing of their collection, fixatives used, colors obtained

The plant and its coloring part	Collection time	Fixers used	Resulting Color
Birch (leaves)	First half of summer	Potassium dichromate (after dyeing)	Olive
Linden (fallen leaves)	Autumn	Copper sulfate (before dyeing)	Yellow
Maple (fallen leaves)	Autumn		Dark red
Aspen (fallen leaves)	Autumn	Copper sulfate (before dyeing) Potassium dichromate (after dyeing) Ferric sulfate (before and after dyeing)	Brown
Aspen (catkins)	Spring (before leaves bloom)	Ferric sulfate (after dyeing)	Brown
Spruce (needles, young and old cones)	Spring	Copper sulfate (before and after dyeing) Alum (before and after dyeing)	Green Sand, brown, yellow
Wild apple tree (fallen leaves)	Autumn	Copper sulfate (before and after dyeing) Potassium dichromate (before dyeing)	Yellow with brown tint Dark crimson
Bird cherry (ripe and overripe berries)	Summer	Without fixer Copper sulfate (before dyeing)	Red
Pomegranate (rinds)	Autumn	Copper sulfate (after dyeing)	Black with brown tint
Sorrel (roots, leaves)	Spring	Alum (before dyeing)	Yellow
Oregano (upper part of the plant)	When flowering	Without fixer Copper sulfate (before dyeing) Potassium bichromate (after dyeing)	Scarlet
Potato (top of plant)	After cleaning	Ferric sulfate (before and after dyeing) Ferric sulfate (before dyeing)	Dark green Black with brown tint

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