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How to Get Dye From Fruits

Dyeing your own clothing or fabric is an inexpensive way to transform your wardrobe. However, many fabric and/or acid dyes can be harmful if handled without wearing a protective face mask and rubber gloves. Use natural dyes found in fruits as a safer alternative to harsh chemical dyes. With a simple recipe, you can dye any white clothing or fabric using the dye extracted from fruit.

Things You'll Need

Fruit
Kitchen knife
1/2 cup salt
Sauce pot
8 cups cold water
Strainer
Medium-sized bowl

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase or pick the fruit of your choice to dye your clothing with. Choose well ripened and dark fruits -- like plums, cherries, oranges or limes -- for the best and brightest results. You will need about 3 cups of sliced fruit skins.
- 2
  Slice the skins off of the fruit using a kitchen knife. Set the skins aside.
- 3
  Pour 1/2 cup salt into a sauce pot. Add 8 cups cold water to the bowl. Place the sauce pot onto your stove top, and heat the salt fixative so it's simmering.
- 4
  Place your white -- or light-colored -- fabric into the simmering salt fixative, and allow it to simmer for one hour. Then, rinse out the fabric under warm water and ring out the excess water. Dump out the salt fixative from the sauce pot.
- 5
  Place your fruit skins into the sauce pot. Add enough fresh water to cover the skins, then bring the water to a simmer for one hour.
- 6
  Place a strainer over the top of a medium-sized bowl. Pour the dye water into the medium-sized bowl; the strainer will catch the skins. Discard the skins, and return the dye water to the sauce pot.
- 7
  Place the sauce pot back on the stove and bring it to a light simmer. Place your fabric into the sauce pot.
- 8
  Allow the fabric to simmer in the dye water overnight. Remove the fabric from the dye water; rinse the fabric under cool water to seal the color in and to remove excess dye. Air-dry.

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