How to Dye Paper Naturally With Natural Dyes Amy Davidson

Instructions

·      Select colourful flowers from your garden or purchase a bouquet.


·      Remove the petals from the blossoms. Use a knife to chop the petals to yield one cup. Do not chop them too finely, as they will be harder to remove from the water after boiling.


·      Boil two cups of water for five minutes and add the chopped petals to the water. Turn the heat to low, cover and allow the flowers to steep in the simmering water for an hour.


·      Place a coffee filter in a sieve or colander and set it over a large casserole dish or bowl. Remove the water and flower liquid from the stove and pour it through the coffee filter to remove bits of flower and leave only the dye solution in the bowl.


·      Place paper in the dye solution and allow it to sit for one minute. Remove and allow it to dry flat. If you would like paper a darker colour, submerse it in the solution for another few minutes and allow it dry again. You may need to make another solution and add an extra half a cup of petals to the mix to yield a darker dye if the paper is not dyed to your liking after two tries.

Important information to know and understand when using natural resources: When you have chosen the colour which you want to create you gather up 2/3 of the natural material and chop in into fine pieces, weigh the chosen material and place into a large pan. Place in the pan double the quantity of the natural material in water and boil, allow the solution to boil for around an hour. The longer the water boils for the more concentrated the colour would be. When you’re happy with the solution you need to drain out the natural materials and keep the solution to dye the intended paper.