Choose Your Plant Materials

Different plants produce different colors. Here are some popular choices:

Yellow: Onion skins, turmeric, marigold flowers.

Red/Pink: Beets, avocado pits, red cabbage, blackberries.

Blue/Purple: Blueberries, red onion skins.

Green: Spinach, grass.

Brown: Coffee grounds, black tea.

Encourage kids to help collect plant materials from the garden or kitchen.

For Plant-Based Fabrics (like cotton): Soak the fabric in a solution of 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar for an hour. Or 4 parts water to 1 part sea salt. Mix well to dissolve before using. We did our t-shirts with vinegar for the berries and onion skins and with salt for the marigolds. Rinse with cold water.

Chop the plant materials into small pieces.

Place them in a large pot and cover with water.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a clean pot to remove plant debris. This liquid is your dye bath.

Submerge the prepared fabric into the dye bath while it is still hot.

Soak the fabric in the dye bath for 30-60 minutes. The longer it sits, the deeper the color will be.

Stir occasionally to ensure even coloring.

Remove the fabric and rinse it with cold water until the water runs clear.

Hang the fabric to dry in a shaded area to prevent fading.

Wait 24 hours and launder the shirts in cold water before wearing.