DOTDASH MEREDITH
Put your crafting skills on display and make these simple tie dye tablecloths.
Marigolds are usually only thought of in the garden, but they can actually be extremely versatile to use indoors as well. While you can have a nice bouquet of orange and yellow in your living room, we’re thinking of using this beautiful flower for something a little different; tie dye!
Using natural dyes for your tablecloths, napkins and linens is a great way to change up your style using eco-friendly techniques, and without any harsh chemicals involved.
So, after a summer of marigolds in the garden, it’s time to pick your flowers, set them out to dry and turn your dining table into a sunset of colours!
Follow our simple step-by-step guide below.
How to dye with marigolds
Gather your supplies
- Kitchen scales
- Calico (unbleached cotton fabric)
- Stainless-steel pot (not used for food)
- 2 tsp washing soda
- 1/2 cup mild, pH-neutral liquid laundry detergent
- Stirrer and sieve
- Tara powder
- Plastic bucket
- Alum powder
- Soda ash
- Dried marigold heads
Step 1
Use scales to weigh fabric (WOF) and jot the number down on a piece of paper (about 90cm = 142g).
Step 2
For scouring (cleaning), fill pot with water, leaving room for fabric, add washing soda and detergent, and stir. Wet fabric under tap and add to pot. Bring pot to a gentle boil and let simmer for about 1 hour. Remove pot from heat (don’t drain). Once cool, rinse fabric with cold water and hang to dry out of direct sunlight.
Step 3
For mordanting (prepping for colour), measure out tara powder as per packet directions, using WOF. Fill bucket with hottest possible tap water, leaving room for fabric, and add tara powder. Stir and add fabric. Let soak for 8-24 hours. Remove fabric and gently rinse; do not dry.
Step 4
Measure alum powder to 15% of WOF (e.g. 284g WOF x 0.15 = 42.6g alum). Clean and refill bucket with hottest possible tap water, leaving room for fabric, add alum and stir. Measure soda ash to 2% of WOF (e.g. 284g WOF x 0.02 = 5.68g soda ash). Add to bucket and stir, then add damp fabric. Allow to soak for 8-24 hours. Remove fabric from bucket, wring out and rinse.
Step 5
Measure equal weight of dried marigolds to WOF. Clean and refill pot with flowers and water, leaving room for fabric. Bring to simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain out flowers. Add damp fabric and let soak in simmering water for 1 hour, occasionally stirring. Turn off heat. Let steep to get desired colour. Rinse well (if fabric is warm, use warm water); hang to dry out of direct sunlight.
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