Hi Creative Mamas! This post is dedicated to sharing with you the essential tools for natural dyeing. When I first started dyeing I was very confused about what was essential to have and what was not.
This is my list of items which I have found to be essential to have if you are embarking in natural dyeing. At the end of this post I am also including some extra items that you may want to consider but that are not essential.
A word of caution: Any materials used for natural dyeing can never be used for cooking ever again. It’s not safe! Even though we are dyeing naturally, some plants may be harmful if ingested and Alum has to be handled with care as well.
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Setting up a dye studio in a small space
When I started experimenting with natural dyes and extracting color from them, I lived in a little house. I needed an area to place all my dyes and left over dye baths as well as my pots and pans etc.
My solution was to buy a trolley on wheels with 3 levels to keep all my materials in one container. This trolley was so useful because I could wheel it around when I needed it but I could also hide it away inside a wardrobe, so it was out of the way and kids couldn’t get hold of anything inside it.
So for many years this was my little set up (photos below). You can get a trolley like this here!
I placed all of my left over dye liquids and mordants inside glass jars in the top level. And I had all my powders, dyes, roots, dried flowers and assists in the middle level.
I also had a couple of plastic boxes in which I placed my stainless steel pots, the wooden spoons, strainer as well as my white fabrics and yarns.
So…I created the following list so that you have a good idea of what is essential and what is not! You really don’t need much and you probably already have most of it at home aside of the materials such as mordants, powder dyes etc.
Essential tool for natural dyeing
Stainless steel pots with lids
Stainless steel pots are a must have because the stainless steel will not affect the color in any way. I recommend that you start with at least 3 sizes. In my studio I have the following sizes and they have worked great for me:
- 11 quart (10.4L) stainless steel pot and lid
- 3 quart (2.8L) for small samples
- 5 quart (4.7L) for extracting the dye
Of course you can have mores sizes or more than 1 in a variety of sizes but I think these sizes are a great way to start.
Heat source
You need some sort of heart source in order to do your hot dye baths. I have a couple of these hot plates and I use them at home but I also carry them with me to my live workshops.
Kitchen scale
You need a good kitchen scale that is reliable because measuring your fabric and dyes/mordants is the base of any natural dye recipe.
Strainer
A basic metal mesh strainer will last you forever and you will use it every time you are extracting color. I like having a few sizes available such as these.
Funnel
A funnel is a great tool to have to transfer left over dye to smaller jugs. It can be plastic or metal. I have these ones.
Plastic measuring Jug
A plastic measuring cup is a great addition to your tools. I use them to transfer dye from one pot to another when I am experimenting with mixing my colors.
Plastic measuring spoons
These measuring spoons are great to use when adding Alum and modifiers to your mordanting and dye pots.
Wooden spoons
A great set of wooden spoons will last you for years and are a must have tool to stir as well as to add and remove your fabric and yarn from the dye pots.
You need several because they will dye and you need to make sure not to use a purple dyed spoon in a yellow dye bath. It will affect the fabric color. Have at least 6!
Tongs
Tongs are super useful to remove fabric and yarn from the pots. I like these metal ones.
Plastic bucket
You will need a couple of buckets to rest your fabrics and yarn in between processes.
Rubber gloves and face masks
Gloves are ideal to protect your creative hands from turning purple, yellow or pink 🙂 I like these because they are extra thick.
You will also need a face mask for handling Alum. You can also make your own DIY face mask.
Essential materials for natural dyeing
- Natural dyes
- Lux Flakes (mild soap)
- Synthrapol
- Alum Sulphate
- Alum Acetate
- Soda Ash
- Tannin extract (Gall nut)
- Iron Powder
- Cream of Tartar
- Citric Acid
- 100% silk
- 100% wool yarn
- 100% roving
- 100% cotton yarn
More tools and equipment for natural dyeing
If you are like me and you enjoy good quality wooden props as part of your craft practice you will love the Ashford skeiner. I got it as a birthday gift a few years ago and it’s one of those things that I use all the time to make my skeins before dyeing but it also gives me such joy to use!
I love keeping a record of all my natural dyeing samples. A spiral notebook is a great item to have by your side when you are dyeing. you can quickly write down your process and make sure that you document every little step. This will allow you to replicate that same color in the future.
Another thing to consider are these PH strips. It will assist you in knowing what kind of water you are dyeing with, the acidity etc. This is not essential but you may want to use them.
I hope this post helps you gather all the basic tools and materials that you need to get started in natural dyeing. REach out with any questions that you may have 🙂
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