FORAGED | Natural Dying with Acorns
I love the organic simplicity of making something from nature. Even better, taking something older, discarded and giving it new life. This past summer I was surrounded by an abundance of acorns on a trip to beautiful, rugged Maine. It was too good to pass up, with paper bag in hand I scooped up as many little acorns as I could. Since then, they have lived happily drying out in an old jar in my studio, just waiting for the perfect opportunity. So here we are! A brief tutorial on dying vintage linens with foraged acorns.
Since this is a “ for fun “ project I am a bit more loosey goosey with the instructions, because you really can’t go wrong. My only hard and fast ‘rule’ here is: only use pots and utensils designated for dying. No cross contamination here with goods that you cook from! Purchasing them from a second hand shop is a good idea. Also handle iron with care, it can stain clothing and your hands so wear gloves and an apron too.
So, about vintage linens….
Vintage linens are in abundance everywhere from thrift stores to antique fairs, although they sometimes can look a bit dated. Which creates a perfect opportunity to up-cycle them. They don’t make fabric like they used to which is why these really are a joy to work with. Our vintage made modern goods are born of that theory, make something old new again. So for this project we will be using some vintage Italian linen napkins and cotton embroidered napkins. We want to transform them into something a bit more contemporary and earthy to brightens up our table. Be sure to wash your linens prior to dyeing, I use a mild textile detergent and always air dry them on a rack.
Dyeing anything naturally does require a bit of time, isn’t that great! So if you are up for a project that will soak up a few hours, this is for you.
Our first step is to create an iron bath, this is referred to as an ‘assist’ that shifts colors darker.
You will need:
• a few rusty iron bits, like old nails and screws.
• an old quart jar with lid
• a splash of white vinegar
•H2O
Pile your rusty bits in your jar, splash with a bit of vinegar, maybe about an inch. Then add water and seal, this is your base for an iron bath that will bring your acorn dye to a beautiful earthy grey. Set the jar aside for a few days or so, the longer the stronger. Your water should look ‘rusty’ when you are ready to use it.
Now, on to those Acorns. Perfect for creating a dye, they yield a lovely tan to brown color. Rich in tannins, a perfect mordant, this means the color will stick to the fabric very well. You may use the acorns in any state, green or brown and dried out. They can also be reused if you like, because they contain so much dye. It’s a good idea to rinse them well and get all of the loose dirt off, I used a stainless steel strainer and the sprayer attachment on my sink for this. At this point I fill an aluminum pot with cold H20 (note: I use induction burners in my studio) when I think the acorns are rinsed enough I add them to the pot. Heat the acorn/water mix on warm. Cover and let it cook for 1 hour or so, stirring and checking the temp now & then. At this point the choice is yours as to how to proceed, depending on the results you’re looking for. Some take the dye bath off the heat and let it sit for a few days or so to create a deep, rich color. Keeping in mind that if it’s hot outside your should store your dye some place cool to avoid it molding over. If it’s chilly out, no worries at all! If you prefer something more subtle in terms of color let sit overnight and the following dye reheat your dye on warm. Some strain the acorn dye with cheesecloth, myself I use a strainer and don’t mind the earthy bits at the bottom at all. I enjoy the character they create. Again, you can keep the acorns from this dye lot and store them, or not.
At this time you may take your pre-washed linens and soak them thoroughly in a warm water bath for a few minutes. Then add them to the pot, be sure to not to crowd the fabric, so they can move around freely. Heat to warm, stirring now and again for roughly an hour or so, or until you see the color you are looking for. Once you feel they are done, remove from the bath and let cool. Now you can rinse or wash them, or move directly to an iron bath, depending on your time frame here.
In a well ventilated area or outside, with gloves and apron on, take your iron jar and remove the lid, cover with some kind of light cloth to strain. You can add more water & vinegar to your ‘rusty’ jar for anther bath if you like. Pour iron mix into a stainless steel pot and add very warm H20 ( should be enough to cover your linens depending on pot size ) Drop in your linens one by one and swirl around then cover the pot, let sit for around 10 minutes. Your fabric should be a gorgeous earthy deep grey at this point, if not let sit for a bit more, just not more than 20 minutes. Use tongs to remove and let sit for a minute or two. Rinse, wash, line dry and use a hot iron to finish them up!
You now have some lovely hand dyed linens for your table! If you have any questions or kind comments feel free to leave them below if you like. Enjoy your project!