DIYs FOR PLANT, ANIMAL AND MINERAL DYE
DIY FOR PLANT BASED PIGMENTS
These are vegetable dyes or herbal colors extracted from different parts of the plant like flowers, woods, nuts, seeds, berries, barks, roots and sometimes other biological sources like certain fungi or lichens.
Different species of plant use different type of mordants (bond between color and fabric) which thereby fixes a color to the fabric. These dyes are best suited for fabrics like cotton, linen, wool, silk, jute, ramie and sisal.
TUTORIAL I
NATURAL DYEING TUTORIAL BY My Green Closet– Verena shared this beautiful vegetable dye DIY- How you can naturally dye clothing just using things from the grocery store! In this video she shares a couple pieces dyed using yellow onion skins and red cabbage–
TUTORIAL II
Natural Dyeing Process – Design Studio 1-
DIY FOR ANIMAL BASED PIGMENTS
Animal dye is a source of natural dye extracted from the secretions and dried bodies of animals or Insects or microbes. A large number of different species of bacteria, yeast, mold and algae produce pigments for economical dyes.
In China, dyeing with plants, barks and insects has been traced back more than 5,000 years. The history of animal dyes dates back to Mayan Civilization. However, microbial dye is certainly a recent approach.
TUTORIAL I
Preparation of Lac dyeing, IKTT Innovation of Khmer Traditional Textiles–
DIY FOR MINERAL BASED PIGMENTS
Minerals are inorganic compounds abundantly given to us by Mother Earth. These pigments are also known as Earth pigments. They are well known for their light-fastness (how resistant to fading it is when exposed to light) and fast drying.
Minerals are drawn out by mining and exploration techniques and once extracted the pigment is suspended in a medium and the medium bonds with the cloth. These mineral pigments works best with natural fabrics like cotton, linen, hemp, wool, and silk.
TUTORIAL I
Ancient Art- Caroline Nicolay guides you through how to make your very own ancient earth pigment, explaining the cultural context behind each color.
TUTORIAL II
Earth Pigments Paint- by Barbara Tipper
Instructional skill-share video on how you can make your own artist’s paint from rocks and soil, with demonstrations and advice through various steps-
The purpose of sharing these videos is to get my readers inspired to create their own collection of eco-friendly paints, be it plant, animals or minerals. This activity could be just for the sake of fun or can be taken further as a profession of making eco-friendly paints.
The idea is to encourage the use of Earth-friendly (environment friendly) pigments and discourage mass production and use of harmful synthetic colors widely available in the market.