Follow the easy directions to reuse your spent rose blossoms by making a beautiful natural dye that you can use to colour silk or cotton. Why not refresh some table napkins or a silk scarf?

1. TURN YOUR SPENT ROSES INTO A
BEAUTIFUL NATURAL DYE

2. You will need about an hour to make the dye plus
overnight to dye a piece of fabric with it.

3. YOU WILL NEED
A few handfuls of rose petals and buds
Fresh (soft) ones will give the clearest colour. Gathering them as they fall from the
blooms is perfect.
1 Tablespoon of vinegar
A saucepan with a lid
preferably one that isn't used for food. (Op shops are a good place to find a pot for
dye)
A sieve or strainer
Scissors
A funnel
A bottle to store your dye in until you use it

4. Use the scissors to
cut the petals into
small pieces and
place in the
saucepan

5. Add enough water so that there is about twice as
much water as plant material

6. Heat over low heat until the water is gently boiling.
Stir the petals so that they all have contact with the
water.
The petals will turn white and
semi transparent as they boil.

7. Boil gently for about 40 minutes (or until you get
a colour you like). Top up the water level if it is
getting low.
When you are happy with the colour turn off the
heat and leave the pot to stand to cool a little.

8. Pour the contents of your saucepan into a sieve or
strainer over a bowl and allow the dye to strain
through.
When you have all the liquid drained off, add the
petals to your compost or bury in your garden.

9. Add about 1
Tablespoon of
vinegar to the
dye to help set
the colour
particularly on
cotton fabrics.
Store the dye
in a bottle
until you are
ready to use it.

10. Dyeing Silk
• Dampen a piece of silk
fabric or ribbon and
squeeze out moisture
• Place fabric in a jar with a
lid
• Pour in dye until the fabric
is covered
• Close the lid
• Leave overnight (or longer)
for the dye to attach itself to
the fibres
• Strain and squeeze to
remove excess dye
• Hang to dry in the shade
• Press with a cool iron (silk
setting)

11. Dyeing Cotton
• Pre-wash your fabric to
remove any dressing.
• Soak the fabric in a
bucket or water with a
dash of vinegar added.
This helps prime the
fibre to accept the dye
• Follow the instruction for
dyeing silk.
• Cover with a cloth and
press with your iron on
Cotton setting.

12. Find more easy projects
plus simple ways to live a
life that
is good for you
and
good for the planet at
www.onegreensheep.com.a
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