Natural dyes can make the color of your clothes more attractive. Even though changing the color of your clothes to black is quite difficult if you don't use chemical dyes, you can still do it! You can use acorns or iris roots. Before you start, soak the garment in your homemade fixative. Prepare the shirt to be colored and then get started!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Dip from Iron and Acorn
Step 1. Place some rusty objects in a glass jar and add 250 ml of vinegar
Choose objects made of iron that rust easily such as nails, screws, steel wool, or bolts. The more rusty the object used, the more effective the dye produced.
- If you don't have a glass jar, use a glass container that can be closed.
- Alternatively, you can use iron filings that can be purchased online. Just mix iron filings with vinegar.
Making Rusty Nails
Place the nails in a bowl or container and soak them in vinegar for 5 minutes. Remove the vinegar from the container, then pour the hydrogen peroxide into the container. To make the nails more rusty, sprinkle a little sea salt. Remove the nails from the container and allow them to dry. The nails will start to rust quickly!
Step 2. Fill the jar with water, then close the lid tightly
Make sure all the rusty parts in the jar are submerged in water. Close the jar tightly so that the water in it does not evaporate.
You can use cold, lukewarm, or hot water
Step 3. Dry the jars in the sun for 1-2 weeks until the water turns yellow
Dry the jars in a warm room in direct sunlight. The water and vinegar solution in the jar will turn yellow due to the reaction between the rust and the vinegar.
- You can hang the jars on your windowsill, in front of your garage, or on your balcony.
- The resulting yellow liquid is often referred to as iron mordant.
Step 4. Mix the acorns with water in a large saucepan
Use 2.5 kg of acorns for every 500 grams of fabric. For example, if your garment weighs 250 grams, use 1.2 kg of acorns. Pour water into the pot until it can completely submerge the clothes and acorns.
- You can collect acorns in person or buy them online.
- Use a food scale to weigh acorns.
- Use a stainless steel or glass pan. Aluminum or copper pans will react when exposed to the dye.
Step 5. Boil acorns for 1-2 hours
Turn on the stove and set the temperature to low or medium. Place the pot on the stove and stir occasionally. This process can help extract the natural color from the acorn.
Boil acorns in water at 90-100°C. Boiled water at this temperature will produce fewer bubbles than boiling water
Step 6. Wet the clothes and then wring them out
Dip the clothes in the water or flush them using the sink. After that, wring the clothes with your hands so they don't get too wet.
Wetting clothes before dyeing them can make the color neater. In addition, the dye will also stick to all parts of the clothes evenly
Choosing the Right Type of Fabric to Color
Material:
Wool, silk, and muslin absorb dye well. Cotton and synthetic fabrics do not absorb dye well.
Color:
Bright colored fabrics are perfect to choose from. Choose a white, cream, or light pastel color.
Addition:
If the embroidery or thread is not polyester, you will need to coat it with batik wax to keep the color from changing.
Step 7. Put the clothes in the pan for 20-45 minutes
You may need to lower the stove temperature so the water doesn't boil too much. Toss the clothes in the pan every few minutes so that they are completely coated in the acorn dip.
If the clothes are woolen, don't stir them too often to avoid damaging them
Step 8. Mix the iron solution with water in a separate saucepan
The garment will be dipped in this solution once it is finished dyeing. Pour water until it can soak all parts of the clothes.
You can do this while the clothes are boiling
Step 9. Remove the garment from the acorn dip and place it in a pan filled with iron solution for 10 minutes
Gently stir the garment with a spoon so that it is completely coated with the iron solution. The reaction between the iron and the acorn dye will darken the color of your clothes.
Use a stainless steel spoon to stir the clothes. A wooden spoon will stain if it gets wet in the clothes
Step 10. Alternately soak clothes in acorn dip and iron solution
If after 10 minutes the results are not what you want, soak the clothes again in the acorn dip for about 5 minutes. After that, soak the clothes in the iron solution for 5 minutes.
Repeat this process to darken the color of the garment
Step 11. Squeeze the clothes and dry them for 1 hour
Hang clothes in the sun or place them on a drying rack. By doing this, the dye can soak into the fibers of the clothes before washing.
Place an old towel or cloth under the clothes that are drying. This is done to prevent the dye from dripping onto the floor, carpet, or other clothing
Step 12. Wash the clothes in cold water and detergent to remove any remaining dye residue
Check clothing labels for proper washing methods. If the clothes are machine washable, put them in the washing machine, add a mild detergent, then choose a cold water wash cycle. If you can't machine wash it, wash it by hand.
- If the clothes are washed by hand, one of the indicators that the clothes are free from dye is when the water used is no longer colored.
- Wash clothes separately when using the washing machine. This is done so that other clothes are not stained.
Method 2 of 2: Using Iris Roots to Color Clothes
Step 1. Mix vinegar with water in a saucepan, then add your clothes
This solution will work like a fixative that can help glue the dye to the fibers of the clothes. Use enough water to cover the entire garment.
- For example, for every 250 ml of vinegar, you need at least 1 liter of water.
- White vinegar is an effective option.
- Bright natural fabrics such as bright silk or white muslin absorb dye well. Avoid dyeing dark fabrics or synthetics.
Step 2. Boil the solution for 1 hour and stir every few minutes
Turn the stove to low, allow the water and vinegar solution to start to boil. However, do not boil the solution until it boils too much. Use a spoon to stir the clothes in the pan so that the water and vinegar solution absorbs well.
The boiling point of vinegar is higher than that of water. Therefore, the vinegar takes longer to start boiling
Step 3. Remove the clothes from the pan and rinse with cold water
After boiling for about 1 hour, the clothes are ready to be dyed. Remove the clothes from the pan and rinse with cold water for 1-2 minutes. This is done to rinse off the remaining vinegar that is still attached to the clothes.
- You can soak the clothes in a basin filled with cold water to rinse them.
- Don't mind the vinegar smell clinging to your clothes. The vinegar smell will go away after the clothes are washed.
Step 4. Mix iris root with water in a different saucepan
Use enough water to cover the entire garment. For example, if you use 500 ml of iris root, you will need at least 1 liter of water.
- Dip is dangerous for consumption. Therefore, use a pan that is not used for cooking.
- You can buy iris root at a florist or online.
- You can boil the iris root whole. You can also trim the iris roots beforehand so they can fit into a smaller pot.
Step 5. Soak clothes in iris root dip and boil for 1 hour
Turn the stove to low, then allow the dip to begin to boil. Remember, make sure the dip doesn't boil too much. Stir clothes every few minutes. Make sure the entire garment is submerged and covered in the iris root dip.
- The bottom of the pan is the hottest spot. Therefore, the dip at the bottom of the pan is stronger. While stirring the pan, turn the garment over so that one side is not darker than the other.
- If you want to use your hands to stir clothes, wear rubber gloves.
Step 6. Let the clothes soak overnight if you want a darker color
The longer the clothes are soaked, the darker the color will be. You may need to do this if the clothes are synthetic. Synthetic clothing does not absorb dye quickly.
- Remember, the color of the clothes will look brighter after drying.
- Cover the pot and keep it away from children or pets when left overnight. Remember, dye is quite toxic to humans and animals.
Step 7. Wash clothes in cold water and detergent, then dry
Read clothing labels for proper washing and drying methods. If it doesn't have a label, wash it by hand just in case. Use a mild detergent and cold water. When you're done washing, put the clothes in the tumble dryer or hang them outside.
Tips for washing clothes:
Do not wash clothes that have just been stained with other clothes. This is to prevent the dye from spreading and staining other clothes.
