This book will show you how to extract dye from wild plants, garden herbs, kitchen waste, as well as fruit and vegetables that you can buy from the supermarket. Dye your own fabric, yarn and clothing whilst using soya milk to bind the colours. There is colour potential all around us just waiting to be unlocked!

I share my methods with you, step-by-step. The pages are bursting with photos of the dyeing process as well as photos of fabric and yarn samples from lots of different plants.

Perhaps you already dye with plants using conventional mordants such as alum and would like to try the more natural soya milk method for fixing colours? Maybe you are beginning your journey with plant dyeing now? Either way, there is something for you in my book.

The book covers the following plus more

• how to produce long-lasting colours on cellulose (plant) fibres such as cotton, linen & bamboo viscose.


• how and why to pretreat fabric & yarn in soya milk before dyeing.


• choosing plants that will give promising results in the dye pot.


• how to extract the most colour from plants and how to achieve dark colours on cellulose fibres.


• my methods for producing deep pinks from avocado skins and stones (pits/seeds).


• altering colours by changing the pH of dye.


• using iron or rust water to darken your dyed fabric/yarn and expand your palette of colours.


• painting patterns with iron water.


• testing fabric & yarn for colour fastness.

A note on plant fibres

This book focuses on dyeing cellulose fibres, such as linen, cotton, hemp and bamboo viscose/rayon. I am vegan and do not use any animal protein fibres like wool or silk. Of course my dyeing methods can be applied to animal fibres, if you choose.

Imagine if you could dye your clothes with homegrown plants...

Grow Your Own Colour shows you how to start a dye garden no matter how little space you have, whether it's a window box, balcony or garden. Experience the joy of growing flowers and indigo, and use your plants to naturally dye cloth.

Have you thought about natural dyeing but you're worried the colours might fade? Or perhaps you're put off by special equipment you need. This book demystifies the process and will help you get started in the simplest way.

If you're a plant lover, then find out how common garden flowers like marigold and cosmos can be used to dye fabric in a variety of shades and patterns. Natural dyes are alive; the hues are beautifully subtle. The art of natural dyeing encourages mindfulness and is a wonderful way to be creative.

• how to start gardening if you've never done it before
• no-dig gardening methods
• starting seeds indoors vs direct sowing in the ground
• how to grow, harvest and dye with 9 different dye plants
• these plants are covered: Japanese indigo, Hopi Black Dye sunflower, French marigold, African marigold, dyer's chamomile, coreopsis, sulphur cosmos, purple pincushion, hollyhock (and a couple of other bonus types of cosmos).
• harvesting & drying flowers
• saving seeds & cross-pollination
• dyeing projects for your homegrown flowers
• how to make patterns on cloth
• bundle dyeing, flower hammering, immersion dyeing (in a dye pot), darkening & painting with iron, modifying the pH of dye
• different recipes for silk and plant fibres
• how to test colour fastness on fabric (i.e. how long the dye lasts)
• where to buy dried flowers if you just can't wait to grow your own!
• where to buy seeds (worldwide)

I'm delighted to share my Plant Dye Zine with you! 100+ pages botanical dye recipes, tutorials, articles and inspiration. I've written 4 of the tutorials, and there are 7 written by other plant creatives from around the world.

1. Botanical inks on paper, made from avocado stones + pomegranate skins (by Rebecca Desnos)
2. Eco-printing with leaves (by Louise Upshall from Gumnut Magic)
3. Petal paint (by Rebecca Desnos)
4. Flower + leaf pounding (a brand new technique by Samorn Sanixay)
5. Inspiration from the forest - blind tree drawings and making ink from pinecones (by Yasuna Iman)
6. Making paint from oak galls (by Rebecca Desnos)
7. Homegrown colour: starting your own dye garden (by Flora Arbuthnott from Plants + Colour)
8. Growing cuttings (by Tina Bettison)
9. Bundle dyeing with flowers (by Maggie Pate from Nade Studio)
10. Make + decorate a flower press (by Rebecca Desnos)
11. Flower pressing: bonus interview + tutorial with lots of wonderful tips! (by Tricia Paoluccio from Modern Pressed Flower)

I've been dyeing beads for years and for the first time I've written down my entire dyeing process to share with you so you can dye your own. This book isn't limited to beads though - I'll share my tips for painting dye on other wooden surfaces too - even small items of furniture! The possibilities with plant dyes are endless. Have fun exploring!

• extract dye from plants you already have easy access to
• choose plants that give longer lasting colours
• apply the methods to other plants to develop your own colour palette
• make concentrated dyes that are suited for dyeing and painting wood
• pretreat wood in soya milk to achieve darker colours
• dye and paint beads, buttons and other small items
• dye wood evenly
• paint larger surfaces and even furniture!
• paint patterns on round beads
• use iron to widen your colour palette
• store the dyes in the fridge and keep them for future projects
• seal in the colour with oil or other sealants
• paint concentrated dyes with a brush on wood
• use the same dyes on paper and fabric!

Plant Forage Make is a new magazine for plant lovers and crafters.

This special magazine is like a botanical hug, designed to lift your spirits, encourage you to slow down and take notice of the natural world around you.

The theme for volume 1 is 'Scent' . The contributors from around the world look at the positive effect of botanical scents on our mood and wellbeing, share recipes with scented flowers and herbs, natural dyeing tutorials, as well as foraging, cooking and gardening ideas.

The magazine is designed to be a special little book that I hope you'll cherish forever.

It's published by Rebecca Desnos, a natural dyer and independent publisher in the UK. Rebecca's vision is to unite different plant crafts and explore our relationship with plants. Together, let's celebrate plant creativity in every form.

• Volume 1, the theme is 'Scent'.
• 102 pages.
• No adverts.

• Forest Bathing, by Desiree Bell
• Therapeutic horticulture, by Victoria Stevens
• Recipes for herbal facial steam & a scented balm, by The Mindful Apothecary
• Dyeing with bay leaves, by Rebecca Desnos
• Bundle dye a pillowcase with rose petals, by Liz Spencer, The Dogwood Dyer
• Recipes for floral facial masks, by Herbal Academy
• How to make a herbal wreath by Essence + Alchemy
• Recipe for a rollerball essential oil perfume by Essence + Alchemy
• Lemonbalm doughnuts with a rose glaze by Tara Lanich-LaBrie, The Medicine Circle
• Rose petal chocolate coins, by Tara Lanich-LaBrie, The Medicine Circle
• Exploring memory + scent, by Katie Whittington
• Make your own herbal sprinkle blend, by Cat Seixas, The Olive Trees and the Moon
• How herbalists use scent to determine the medicinal value of plants, by Kim Walker, Handmade Apothecary
• Article + recipe by Liza Couse, Plena Plena
• Travel writing + herbal recipes, by Alice Griffin
• Interviews with artist Claudia Lowry, and herbalist Kim Walker.
• Pollinators and scented plants, by Becky Searle, Sow Much More.