DIY Naturally Dyed Scarf

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• Step 1

  First, prepare your fabric:

  1. Pre-wash your scarf.
  2. Place your scarf in a large pot. Add enough water to fully cover the fabric, and add salt at a 1:16 ratio (for example, one cup of salt for 16 cups of water).
  3. Bring up to boil, then simmer for about on hour. The salt acts as a fixative for the dye.
  4. Rinse the scarf in cold water and set it aside.
  5. If you want to tie and dye, tightly wrap rubber bands wherever you want to create a design.

• 

  Step 2

  Black beans (cold dye bath)

  I used about two cups of black beans for a quite long scarf (about 6.5 feet).

  1. Put your beans in a bucket, generously cover them with water, and let them soak overnight. Place your scarf in a second bucket.
  2. In the morning, strain the bean water into that second bucket (i.e. over your scarf). Generously cover the beans with clean water, and let them soak all day long.
  3. In the evening, repeat step 2.
  4. In the next morning, repeat step 2.
  5. Keep repeating step 2 every 12 hours or so, until your scarf has soaked for about 3 days. It will start to smell a little, but nothing unbearable.
  6. Remove the scarf, rinse it well (until the water runs clean and no more dye comes out) and let it air dry. Discard the beans.

• 

  Step 3

  Blueberries (hot dye bath)

  I used about two cups and a half of (frozen) blueberries for a quite long scarf (about 6.5 feet).

  1. Put your blueberries in a large pot. Add water at a 2:1 ratio (I used 5 cups). Bring up to boil, then simmer for about an hour.
  2. Strain out water, discard blueberries, and return blueberry water to pot.
  3. Add the scarf in the pot. Bring up to boil, then simmer for about an hour or two (depending on how dark you would like the dyed fabric to be). If you want the deepest possible color, turn off the heat and let the fabric sit in the pot overnight.
  4. Remove the scarf, rinse it well (until the water runs clean and no more dye comes out), and let it air dry.

• 

  Step 4

  Black beans (cold dye bath) turned out a nice, pale denim blue and blueberries (hot dye bath) resulted in a lovely soft purple.

• 

  Step 5

  Voilà, enjoy your new scarf!

Comments

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Tina T. · Chipata, Eastern, ZM 31st May 2014

Very, very smart and pretty. Love it! Very resourceful!

OhTheLovelyThings · 8 projects 31st May 2014

Thanks so much for your kind words! So glad you like it.

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