How to Dye With New Onion Plants

Natural dyes aren't just eco-friendly, they're also a practical solution to using that bumper crop of veggies from your kitchen garden. Onions give tie-dye and antiqued fabric projects an earthy, yellow-brown color. Young onions give off a tea-dyed look, giving T-shirts and light-colored denim a cozy, vintage appearance. Plus, you can compost the blanched onions.

• 1

  Chop the onions up into quarter-sized pieces, tossing them into a large measuring bowl to measure how much onion you have. Gently separate the layers and place the pieces onto a square of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth up into a bundle. This makes the onion pieces easier to remove later.

• 2

  Place the cheesecloth bundle into a large stewpot. Add as much water as you have onion pieces. For instance, if your onion pieces fill half of a gallon-sized measuring bowl, add 2 quarts of water to your stewpot. This ensures a concentrated dye.

• 3

  Bring the dye mix to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about an hour.

• 4

  Prepare your clothing for dyeing while the dye mix simmers. Mix about a cup of apple cider vinegar with 3 cups cool water in a second large stewpot. Bring the mix to a simmer and simmer your clothing piece in it for about an hour.

• 5

  Remove the clothing piece from the vinegar mixture. Rinse it in cool water and squeeze it out gently until the water runs clear. This is called "mordanting." The vinegar will help the dye penetrate the fabric more easily.

• 6

  Remove the cheesecloth bundle from your simmering dye mixture. Squeeze the excess liquid from the bundle and discard it. Immerse the clothing piece into the dye mixture and let it soak for up to 24 hours.

• 7

  Remove the clothing piece from the dye mixture and rinse it with cool water until the water runs clear. Allow the piece to air dry and iron it on a cotton setting without steam to help set the dye completely.