How to use turmeric to paint fabrics – Donnamoderna

Lturmeric is a truly phenomenal spice to use to dye fabrics in a simple and fun way, just follow a few tricks.

Using turmeric to paint fabrics it’s a fun and easy way to get beautiful shades ranging from yellow to orange to dark green.

The procedure is quite simple, and can be easily done at home, without special tools, devices or materials. It’s also a great example of how to creatively reuse cooking ingredients for other purposes.

Use turmeric as a natural dye

Turmeric is a natural spice of Asian origin and is commonly used in the kitchen to give color and flavor to dishes, as well as being known and used for centuries for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The powder you find in supermarkets is perfect for dyeing fabrics at home and give a new life to garments or textiles to which you want to give a touch of color.

The great thing about using this spice as a home tincture is that gives an intense yellow color truly gorgeous, perfect for dyeing clothing or even home textiles for the summer.

The important thing is to use it on fabrics of vegetable origin that are best suited to absorb and retain the golden pigments of this natural dye.

How to dye fabrics with turmeric

To use turmeric to paint fabrics no special equipment is required and, if you want, you don’t even need to add bites, which makes it particularly suitable for beginners as well.

Thanks to the simplicity of the process, it is a great activity to do even with the little ones, and it will be really fun to involve them in the process.

What is needed:

• Natural white or natural color vegetable fabric, such as cotton, linen or hemp
• A stainless steel pot
• A wooden or steel spoon
• 50 g of turmeric powder for every 100 g of fabric
• Neutral PH soap

The procedure is very simple; just iFirst immerse the fabric in cold watermaking sure it is completely covered.

In the meantime, you have to weigh 50gr of turmeric and pour it into a jug of hot water, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Obviously the color can become more intense increasing the amount of turmeric used.

At this point, fill a stainless steel pot with cold water, in sufficient quantity to cover the fiber, usually 4 liters per 100gr of fabric. Having added the previously wetted fiber, it’s time to add the water with the turmeric to the pot (which will be a nice ocher yellow) and mix.

Thats enough put the pot on the stove and heat the water until small bubbles start to form on the bottom. It must be left simmer for about 30 minutesstirring occasionally so that the color dyes the fabric evenly and until it has reached the desired shade.

Is very important do not use copper or aluminum pans in the process, as these metals can influence the color result and change the final result. Always choose one stainless steel pot that holds no surprises.

We are at the last step of the procedure; enough wash the fabric with neutral PH soap and hang out to dry in the sun. Alternatively it is also possible wash the fabric in the washing machine with a program for delicatesbut be careful not to wash it together with white or light-colored clothes as it could fade during the first wash and color them.

If you want it is also possible achieve a tie-dye effect making knots with the elastics on the fabric, in order to obtain a very particular pattern, also ideal for t-shirts or decor elements, such as tablecloths or pillow cases.

In addition, from turmeric you can also get a dark green dyeeven if the process requires one more step: just add a ferrous mordant and instead of the classic golden yellow, we will get a beautiful shade of green.

Obviously it is possible to dye fabrics at home with this completely natural method also using other raw materials, such as coffee, red onion peels, beets, spinach and even the avocado peel that gives a beautiful pink color intense.

Wash the fabrics before dyeing them

One final tip for getting the most out of turmeric tincture is wash the fabrics very carefully that you want to dye, to eliminate residues, any glues and treatments to which they have been subjected and dust.

Fibers such as linen and cotton can be washed with sodium bicarbonate, mixed in water, or with soaps and detergents ecological designed for the most delicate garments.

The great thing about these dyes is that they are natural and require no equipment and therefore it is very easy to experiment and customize somewhat anonymous garmentstransforming them into something unique, always with an eye on the budget.

In addition, it is always very satisfying to reuse ingredients or waste such as tea bags for new, creative, economic and environmentally friendly purposes.