Natural Kitchen Dyes

Book excerpt: “Hall digs into kitchen chemistry in this cozy guide to using plants to make dyes . . . This fun collection will be a valuable addition to any DIY library.” —Publishers Weekly With Natural Kitchen Dyes you can explore the magical world of natural dyes, without the need of a garden full of dye plants. Our kitchens are a great source of natural dye colors, from vegetable peels that create blush pinks and peaches, fruit skins that make lemon yellows, a green dye sourced from carrot tops, dried spices, and used tea bags to create vibrant yellows, rich terracottas, and deep browns. Natural Kitchen Dyes takes you through the exciting process of creating these wonderful natural colors, dyeing fabric with the dyes, and suggests ingenious ways to get your hands on some natural dye sources. Accompanying the natural dye recipes in the book are ten environmentally conscious projects, which have been created not only to show off the natural dyes beautifully, but to help eliminate waste. Several of the projects actually utilise waste that would otherwise be composted or recycled such as old clothes turned into bags and patchwork floor cushions, to dried pulses past their expiration date used to make a beaded necklace. “This is my sort of book: no need to start your adventure with a shopping expedition for ingredients—at least not to begin with—it’s all there in the kitchen for a safe, spur-of-the-moment indulgence.” —The Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers “Hall outlines a kid-friendly craft that just might engage adults too.” —Booklist