Bundle Dyeing with Flowers

Preserving the beauty of spring and summer blossoms couldn’t be easier with bundle dyeing. This method of natural dyeing is easily accessible and enjoyed by beginners and novices alike. It’s one of my favorite ways to utilize natural dyes! Although this method is pretty simple in theory, there are still many things to consider when starting a bundle dye project, including the types of flowers you will use as well as the type of fabric.

Let’s Talk Fabric

Not all fabrics will work for natural dyeing, and some fabrics need to be pre-treated, or mordanted, before they will be able to take up the color from plant materials. Mordants act as a binder that ‘bind’ the color from the plants to the fabric. This step is important for success as well as for providing color-fastness. Without this step, colors will turn out weaker and won’t stand up to washing or sun exposure, and sometimes won’t work at all.

There are two types of fiber categories that are compatible for natural dyeing. The first is plant fibers, or cellulose fibers. These fibers need a mordant before dyeing. They include cotton, linen, hemp, and bamboo.

The next category is protein fibers. They include wool, silk, and soybean. These fibers have a natural affinity for natural dye, and don’t require a mordant, although it can be said that all fibers will benefit from some type of mordant.

I won’t get in depth with the topic of mordanting here, but there are lots of really great online references you can access that talk about proper ways to mordant your fabric before dyeing. Rebecca Desnos has a lot of great information as well as books to help with this process.

Flowers for Natural Dye

Many of the flowers found in gardens, lawns, and flowerbeds in our neighborhoods work great for natural dye! There are also many wildflowers that can be easily foraged and used. The flowers I love to work with include:

• marigolds

• cosmos

• coreopsis

• hibiscus

• daffodils

• goldenrod

• dyers chamomile

• cornflower

• pincushion flowers

This is by no means an extensive list, so do some research and see what flowers you may have in your garden that could work! It’s also fun to experiment.

cotten bralettes dyed with coreopsis and marigolds

The Bundle Dye Process

After gathering your flowers and determining the type of fabric you will use and mordanting it (or not), you are ready to dye! Materials you will need include:

• a large stock pot with a strainer or steamer

• fabric

• flowers/plant material

• twine or string

• tongs

First, fill your stock pot with a bit of water - about 2-3 inches. You want enough to create steam, but not so much that your fabric will get wet. You’ll use a steamer basket or a strainer to put your fabric in so it doesn’t touch the water.

Next, wet your fabric and wring it dry. You want your fabric to have the feel of something that just came out of a spin cycle in your washer - damp, but not soaked.

Then take your flowers and arrange them over one half of the fabric. You can arrange them any way you’d like, and can create some really fun patterns by experimenting with placement. You can arrange the blossoms using the entire flower head, or by scattering petals. Have fun with it!

Next, take your fabric and fold the bare part over the part that has your flowers on it. This will have a mirroring type effect as your dye soaks in, and it creates a kaleidoscope of color and pattern. Next, fold your fabric in half a few more times to make a long, thin shape.

Once you have your fabric ‘strip’, take the short end and roll it up. It should resemble a cinnamon roll. You want to make sure you fold and roll the fabric as tightly as possible, as this will ensure a good print.

Once you have your fabric roll, secure it tightly with twine, string, or rubberband. This is your fabric bundle!

Place your bundle in your steamer or strainer, and place it in your pot. Remember, it should NOT touch the water! Place your pot on a heat surface and gently bring the water to a simmer so it creates a steam. Place a lid over the pot and steam your bundle for 10-20 minutes. Some flowers take longer to extract color than others, so this part you can play around with. I usually find that 10-15 minutes is a good length of time.

Once you have finished steaming, remove your pot from the heat, and remove the lid. Use your tongs to remove your bundle and let it cool until it can be worked with.

Once cooled, unravel your bundle and remove the flowers. Rinse in lukewarm water and hang to dry. You now have a beautiful piece of naturally hand-dyed fabric!

It should be noted that even with proper mordanting, natural dye will fade over time. It’s part of it’s special magic and character. You can prolong fading by minimizing washing your fabric, and by storing out of sunlight. Make sure to use a natural soap that has a neutral pH, as some chemicals can shift or fade color and create an undesired effect.