3 Ways to Use Natural Dyes

Artificial coloring and dyes are all around us, altering the colors of foods we eat, clothes we wear and more. If you want to bring some color to your life sans chemicals, consider these three ways you can use dyes made from all-natural ingredients.

1. Homespun wool

Whether you raise sheep for wool or purchase wool from a local farmer, you can dye your wool naturally before turning it into something beautiful, such as a sweater or scarf. For more about wool and coloring it naturally, see Homespun Wool and Natural Dyes.

2. Easter eggs

If you celebrate Easter and if you like to color eggs, steer clear of those coloring kits in the supermarket. It’s fun and simple to create beautiful dyes for your eggs at home. Ingredients such as beets (for red), onion skins (for yellow) and blueberries (for bluish-purple) will provide the bases for your dyes. For full recipes and instructions, see How to Color Easter Eggs with Natural Dyes.

3. Your hair

Yep, that’s right—you can even add a little pizzazz to your next hair-do by skipping the salon and using natural dyes instead. Most natural hair dyes rely on herbal ingredients, and they can be safely and easily made and applied at home. To learn all the ins and outs of this process, check out For Natural Hair Color, Color Your Hair with Natural Dyes.

Have you ever made any natural dyes at home? What did you color with the dyes? Please share your experiences and any favorite dye recipes you have in the comments section.

Photo by Rosalind Creasy