A growing interest in sustainable fashion and art has paved the way for natural dyes and compost dyeing. Given the popularity of home gardening and do-it-yourself crafting, the technique is becoming especially common among artists, highlighting the intersection between creative expression and environmental friendliness.
Dye gardening isn’t new — it’s a centuries-old method infiltrating modern art, fashion and pop culture. Amid a growing awareness of food waste and climate change, compost dyeing, in particular, is an excellent way to reduce landfilling and chemical use. Discover how this artistic approach produces eye-catching, unpredictable results that encourage experimentation and the textile creation.
The History of Plant-Based Dyes
The history of plant-based dyes dates back to ancient times — between 2500 BCE and 500 B.C. — when the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Indians extracted colours from various plants, minerals, and insects. Madder root, indigo, and saffron were typical sources, while people used alum, iron, and tannins from tree bark to affix colours to fabric in dye baths.
They didn’t just use the dyes for clothing, though. Indigenous people from Central and South America created reds, oranges, and yellows from cochineal insects and annatto seeds for their paintings and pottery. The Incas and Aztecs also used them to adorn their bodies as paint.
Individuals were limited to whatever colours they could pull from nature, including red, blue, green, yellow, and brown. Some colours held special significance for specific cultures. For example, many people associate purple with Roman royalty.
Comparing the Eco-Impact of Natural and Synthetic Dyes
Sustainable art and fashion are having a moment, primarily as these industries aim to become more environmentally friendly. Traditionally, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, releasing harmful chemicals that damage ecosystems and disrupt aquatic life.
Synthetic dye production requires ample water and energy, depleting resources. It also doesn’t fully stick to the fabric, with about 10% to 15% released into the environment through wastewater. This can make natural water bodies murky and hinder plant photosynthesis.
Conversely, plant-based dyes come from nature and are biodegradable, making them much safer if released back into the environment. Studies also suggest they add antibacterial, antifungal and ultraviolet-resistant properties to textiles. For instance, pomegranate has high levels of tannins, promoting tremendous antibacterial activity. Applying dyes with ultraviolet light protection to wool improved UV resistance six times higher than synthetic dyes.
Growing Your Own Colour Palette at Home
Growing your own dye garden allows you to explore colour and creativity at home, whether you maintain a luscious backyard garden or a few potted plants on your balcony. Beginner-friendly plants could include marigolds, indigo and madder, each with a unique colour palette and history.
For cool tones, consider growing blackberries, blueberries, red cabbage, parsley and beach sunflower blossoms. These can produce purples and greens. Hibiscus flowers, coreopsis and berries also form beautiful pinks and reds that range from bold to saturated.
Oftentimes, you can mix more than one colour from a single plant. For example, the smooth sumac is widespread throughout the United States. Its leaves are ideal for various shades of brown, while the fruit makes black and red. Its stems form a light yellow dye, too.
Regardless of your garden’s size, ensure that plants receive adequate sunlight and proper care to yield the most vibrant colours. By planning your garden carefully, you can achieve a living, sustainable source of inspiration and art materials year-round.
Compost Dyeing — Turning Kitchen Scraps Into Art
Americans generate 92 billion pounds of food waste annually, equivalent to 51.7% of overall landfill waste. This accounts for nearly 8% to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. As such, eco-conscious individuals compost scraps as a nutrient-rich soil for their gardens.
However, you can also use compost materials to dye textiles. Compost dyeing utilises kitchen waste and yard trimming to create fabric colours. Consider wrapping onion skins, avocado pits and coffee grounds in a garment and burying or steaming it until the pigments dye the fibres. The deeper the colours from the food, the more vibrant the hues will be.
Once the dye transfers, wash the fabric in cold water. This will preserve them and prevent them from bleeding onto other textiles.
Step-by-Step Guide to Dye Gardening
Dye gardening is a fun approach to sustainable art. Follow this step-by-step guide to create beautiful hues for your creative expression.
Choose Your Plants
Decide which colours you want to make and research plants from which you can extract them. If you’re a beginner grower, opt for easy flora that requires little maintenance. Most flowers and vegetables require six or more hours of full sunlight daily, while some plants require partial sunlight for four to six hours.
Read the packaging to determine how often you should water your plants. Native flora usually requires less irrigation, helping you conserve resources.
Harvest at Peak Growth
Patience is key when growing a dye garden. Wait for plants to reach maturity before you pluck them from your yard or pots. Collect the leaves, flowers and roots when they display the greatest pigmentation.
Extract the Colour
Rinse and chop the plant before simmering it in hot water to extract the dye. Research shows that this method produces stronger hues for some plants than others. For instance, you can achieve a brighter yellow or red from boiling chamomile and poppy if you add hydrochloric acid.
If you’re compost dyeing, layer onion skins and avocado pits within natural fibres in a compost bin, allowing natural heat to transfer colours over several weeks. Remember to wear gloves and other protective gear when handling materials and chemicals.
Colour Chemistry and Creative Experimentation
Natural dyeing delivers endless opportunities for creative experimentation. For one thing, you never really know what hues you’ll end up with from plants. Synthetic dyes are more predictable and carefully curated to produce exact shades.
If you want a true lime green, marlin teal or Vegas-inspired gold, look for commercial products at a craft store. With plant-based dyes, you must try different extraction methods and additives to attain different vibrancies and colours.
You should also explore how different fibres absorb dyes. Some colours appear brighter and longer-lasting on silk or cotton garments, which are derived from animal proteins. Adding a mordant makes colours even stronger, especially if you use bamboo, locell and rayon. Polyester and polypropylene do not absorb dyes as easily because they are water-resistant.
According to one study, gardenia yellow stuck to wool best when left in a dye bath for about 90 minutes at 100° Celsius. Madder red and gardenia blue had successful results after a 120-minute dye bath at the same temperature. Overall, each colour has its own sweet spot, depending on temperature and dye duration.
Contemporary artists and designers will enjoy these variabilities, inventing their own methods and approaches to natural dyeing.
Natural Dyes in the Spotlight
Clothing brands like Harvest & Mill and Industry of All Nations have turned to natural dyes in their products. They are also committed to using 100% organic cotton, which has a much lower carbon footprint than conventional cotton.
Stella McCartney also began incorporating natural dyes into its Spring 2024 collection, using Living Ink’s Algae Black pigment. Unlike petroleum-derived colouring, Algae Black reduces CO2 emissions by 200%, sequestering more than it emits and achieving carbon neutrality.
In the art world, Stella Maria Baer from Santa Fe, New Mexico, collects earthy pigments from her surroundings, ranging from charcoal grey to spruce green and yellow. Although she began her training using oil paints and synthetic materials, she discovered her affinity for natural dyes while attending Yale Divinity School. Her interest grew even deeper when she became pregnant and was searching for safer ingredients.
Taos-based artist Scott Sutton also prefers working with natural dyes to improve the planet and connect to New Mexico’s history. He harvests raw materials, many of which he grows, including madder root, indigo and chamomile.
Natalie Stopka uses botanical dyes for her paper and textile masterpieces, especially in paper marbling. She keeps a dye garden at home in Yonkers, New York, where she grows hollyhock, weld, madder, indigo and pokeberries, among others. From these plants, she extracts purples, blues, greens and lemon yellow.
Stopka admits to purchasing some commercial inks and ingredients, but salvages what she can from waste streams to create a more eco-friendly artistic approach. To make a more sustainable garden, she rotates crops, manages pests naturally and opts for native plants that attract pollinators.
Resources and Community
Starting your own dye garden or attempting compost dyeing is easier than you think, especially since many resources are available to guide you. You can research plants that produce the deepest pigments by visiting botanical garden websites or university extensions. For example, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Master Gardener programs contain helpful information.
Visit your local nursery or search for seed exchanges in your community to find dye plants you can grow. Planning your garden, including where you intend to plant them —whether in the ground or in pots —is essential. Likewise, you might follow Stopka’s lead and opt for native plants to boost local biodiversity.
Online forums and social media allow you to connect with fellow gardeners and artists, ask questions and share your experiences. You can find local groups to join in person, hosted by art centres, organisations and museums. These groups are great for those seeking practical advice and interested in meeting people with similar artistic interests.
From Garden to Garment
Natural dyes help artists tap into traditional creative techniques while reenvisioning their relationships with modern fashion and art. Most importantly, dye gardening and compost dyeing help you approach your work more sustainably.
Before throwing away your leftovers, find inspiration in their potential hues. Establishing a pigmented garden is another way to embrace multiple interests and nature simultaneously.
