I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good experiment. Especially when it comes to creating new dye recipes for my primitive hooked rugs. This time around I played with beets and thought I would share my {surprising outcome} in case anyone else out there wants try making their own dye with a plant based product as well.
To get started, soak your wool in warm water for a few hours {I like to add a few drops of Ivory liquid as well} this will help prepare your fabric for dyeing so the fabric will accept the color better.
Next, cut up a few fresh beets into chunks {I peeled mine as well but it’s not necessary} and toss them into a non reactive metal pot {I use enamelware}. Bring water to a boil.
Next gently ring out the fabric {you still want it to be wet, just not soaking wet}.
Slowly add the fabric to the boiling water/beet dye, reduce heat to a simmer and let the fabric soak for an hour or two.
I was expecting the fabric to turn a pinkish red. So when it didn’t, I decided to add a few more beets to the dye bath and let the fabric soak for another hour or so.
Once the fabric is done soaking up the “color” turn off the heat, add a splash of vinegar to the pot, give it a stir and let the water cool down.
Dump your liquid down the drain {or out on the back patio if you’re like me} then give your fabric a rinse in cool water. Toss your beets onto your compost pile.
Then, ring out the fabric and toss it in the dryer with an old towel and a dryer sheet until dry.
Never in a million years would I have thought red beets would turn my wool a nice peachy yellow. But you know what? I absolutely LOVE the drab color and will likely dye more wool using this method again. The only difference will be that I will stick to lighter {white,cream,grey} wool fabric next time.
Experimenting is cool! Don’t you think?
Have you ever dyed anything using vegetables? I’d love to hear about it.
~Mavis
Lisa L says
I remember my grandmother used to dye her Easter eggs naturally, and they came out red. I always assumed that she had used beets to get that color. When I tried boiling my eggs with beets, they came out a yellowy brown. My mom said that grandma had’t used beets but onions and salt to get the red color. Haven’t tried with onions yet but I’ll give it a go next Easter! So when I saw you were dying with beets I suspected you might not get the red you were thinking. But I love how the wool turned out too!
Tracy says
Yellow onion skins (only the dark gold papery skins) turn anything the most beautiful camel color. Grass clippings (use a lot of very clean clippings) make a beautiful soft chartreuse. The fruit of the porcelain berry (a vining weed with shockingly neon sky blue/purple berries) makes things a bright, true rose pink. The bright purple berries of the beautyberry bush lends a soft baby pink to cottons. So many more!
Mary from Chattanooga says
Some 40 years ago I decided it would be a great idea to have my second grade students pick dandelions at recess and dye t-shirts
I didn’t know I needed to strain the dandelions from the dye!
I had 21 shirts with dandelion pieces and parts in the big bucket with all of those shirts!
It was a mess but once the shirts were rinsed and dried no one was the wiser!
My students looked very stylish as we enjoyed our day at the zoo!
Sandra says
One of our Girl Scouts day camp units dyed cotton bandanas with beets. They came out magenta. I think they used canned beets and vinegar. Perhaps beet color reacts differently with cotton than with wool.
I have dyed fabric and Easter eggs with homemade plant dyes. Carrot tops give an earthy green. Onion skins give a variety of colors: yellows, browns and oranges. It is always a bit of a surprise.
Amy says
I soaked a carved wooden bird in beet juice once and it came out a light maroon colour but if you touched it or got it wet it would rub off. I didn’t varnish it and that would have probably stopped the colour from leaching out. I also just made pickled turnips and used some beets in the jars to dye the whole thing a beautiful neon pink Nice wool rugs!
Tanya says
You might try using washing soda (sodium carbonate) in your pre-rinse water. We do that for tie-dye and it makes the colors much bolder.
Susan Henline says
I once experienced dying fabric using flowers. I used purple petunias, marigolds, and geranium blooms (separately!). I covered them with hot water and vinegar and soaked fabric scraps in each pot, then “quilted” the dried scraps together. The colors were a beautiful pale pastel and kept for several years.
Frederique says
If you want a nice purple/magenta, try using red cabbage!!!!