Dyeing silk with goldenrod

I watch the goldenrod every year to know when school is about to begin. The first days of school come around the same the goldenrod starts displaying its bright yellow flowers.

During the days of my children’s garden program, one of our first craft projects was dyeing silk capes with goldenrod. About three weeks into each school year, we gathered the flowers, made the dye, and dyed silk "capes" to go with the story we were listening to about a child knight befriending a dragon.

In this story, the child knight is given a cape to get them strength:

Here's your cape of golden light
To give you courage, strength, and might.

This simple and beautiful craft is easy to do at home with your children, too!

Watch the video or read the directions below to learn how to use goldenrod to dye silks (and other natural fibers).

Supplies Needed:

• Goldenrod flower (or use turmeric, if goldenrod is unavailable)
• White vinegar (1/4 cup)
• Alum (a few Tablespoons per pot of dye) *keep out of reach of children.
• Silk (I prefer to use the 35" x 35" 8mm Habotai "scarves" from Dharma Trading Co.)
• A large pot of water

Directions:

This recipe is very flexible. If you want to dye several silks, you will need a bigger pot and more goldenrod. You can also make several batches. 

• Fill your pot 1/3 full of goldenrod flowers. You don't need to remove each small flower; instead, remove the tops of the plant. It's okay if some of the green parts get in.
• Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Let the mixture boil for 3-5 minutes, then turn it off and let sit for at least four hours (or as long as overnight). This recipe is very flexible and forgiving!
• Return to the dye mixture and remove the goldenrod with a strainer. Toss/compost the goldenrod.
• Add alum to the dye mixture and stir. (Keep alum out of reach of children. This is "an adult job" in our house.)
• If the dye has cooled, warm it up. I heat the water to as warm as is safe for the ages I’m working with.
• Presoak your silk in a bowl of water with 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Stir the silk around to make sure the entire silk is wet. You don’t want any folded portions to remain dry.
• Add the wet silk to the dye and stir well to ensure the silk is evenly saturated by the dye. Let the silk sit in the dye bath for as dark as you want your color to be. (The dye moves from the water to the silk, so the color in the pot will fade as silks are dyed.)
• Remove the silk from the dye bath and rinse under cold water until it runs clear.
• Hang to dry.
• Enjoy!

I hope this video and explanation make it easy for you to try dyeing a play silk at home with your child. I’d love to hear how it goes!

Natural dye projects are fun with kids! Check out these other natural crafts from Little Round Schoolhouse, which include dyeing:

Naturally Dyed Eggs
Dyeing Rainbow Silks with Kool-Aid (okay, that’s not natural!)

Learn more nature-based, seasonal crafts and projects to enjoy with your child when you purchase our complete early childhood enrichment program. Storytime in the Schoolhouse follows a weekly rhythm of songs, storytelling, and creative arts. To experience a full week of Storytime from each season, sign up for our free Storytime Seasonal Sampler.