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Sometimes all that a piece of clothing needs in order to gain some new life is a new color. Not contributing to waste with disposed clothing can really be as simple as dying your clothes a color that you love. Dyes, however, can be very unsafe. Some of them have so many chemicals in them that you would never want to have them on your skin all day long. But dyes don't have to be so toxic. In fact, long ago, dyes were all made from natural things, like plants, for instance. With the eco-friendly movement picking up momentum, more and more people are realizing that they can actually make their own dyes...and you can, too!
Here are some recipes:
Purple
Chop two heads of purple cabbage up. Mix it with four quarts of water and simmer for 1-2 hours until the cabbage leaves look like they have lost all color. Strain out the cabbage pieces.
Yellow
Yellow (or purple) onionskins make great dyes. Cover the skins with water and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer for an hour or two until the skins look like they have lost all color. Simmer with the fabric submersed in the liquid. If you let the fabric cool overnight, your colors will be much more bold.
Brown
Coffee grounds are great for a brown fabric dye. You can use both brewed grounds and fresh grounds. Leave the coffee grounds with some water on your fabric for a day or so.
So before you think of throwing out that piece of clothing you never wear again, consider dying it the natural way!
Read more about natural dyes here:
Make a Dress from Recycled Fabric
Dye Easter Eggs the Natural Way
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