How to dye clothes red?

The last time we attempted all-natural plant dye, I happened to be when you look at the fifth class and away at nature camp. I’ve always desired to test it once again, together with dependence on a Thanksgiving tablecloth appeared like a good excuse. Perhaps something in a soft gray?

Above: After doing a little bit of analysis, I discovered that red cabbage is a good ingredient to ultimately achieve the color I was after–with caveats: Some dyers advise against red cabbage, particularly for clothes, given that it’s not to colorfast; other people tend to be followers. Main point here: It’s simple, therefore I chose to try it out. Here’s how I achieved it.

Materials

Above: The project calls for hardly any components, nearly all of that you simply probably already very own. Here’s exactly what you’ll need:

• 2 minds of red cabbage
• an amount of unbleached, normal cloth, size to cover your table. Cotton, linen, silk, and wool all work (but will react to the dye in numerous methods). We went to my local fabric store and bought a few yards of pure natural cotton material for $15.
• 2 stainless-steel or enamel stock pots large enough to allow for your cloth
• Measuring spoons
• A tiny container of alum, an astringent ingredient found in the spruce part of most supermarkets
• A huge plastic bucket
• Heavy-duty plastic gloves
• A big mesh drawstring bag (optional). We utilized a plastic vegetable bag; mesh bags for fine laundry additionally work

Directions

Methods 1 and 2: cut the cabbage into one-inch chunks, then gather the cabbage in a mesh bag–doing this is why for somewhat simpler cleanup, but the task works equally well with loose cabbage. Remember that anything you put into your cooking pot will respond with the dye, therefore don’t use a zippered case; the material will alter the dye.