Kitchen Dyeing: An Introduction to Botanical Color
For our 2026 collection’s “Plant Marble” print, we collaborated with botanical dye collective WUY. They’ve shared a simple method for natural dyeing that can be done right in your own kitchen.
“In the past, dyeing was part of everyday household life. People used the natural properties of plants to color their garments, and when clothes became worn or stained, they would simply dye them again.
Botanical dyeing is eco-friendly, gentle on the body, and filled with the wisdom of earlier generations. With just a stove, a pot, and a sink, anyone can begin.”
An Onion Skin Dye
What you’ll need:
Onion skins (about half to equal the weight of the fabric), alum (10–20% of the fabric’s weight), a large pot, a strainer, and a large bowl
Steps:
- Simmer the onion skins in a pot for 10–20 minutes
- Strain to create the dye bath
- Soak the pre-wet fabric slowly in the dye
- Transfer to lukewarm water with dissolved alum to set and develop the color
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you reach your desired shade
- Lightly rinse and air dry in a well-ventilated space
For a naturally uneven, beautiful “shibori” effect, loosely gather the fabric and wrap sections with rubber bands before dyeing. Remove them after the process is complete.
At first, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Start by enjoying how simple and engaging the process can be.
If you’d like to go deeper, we highly recommend joining one of WUY’s workshops.
The 2026 “Plant Marble” Collection
Discover the 2026 collection featuring our Plant Marble print, created with botanical inks by WUY.
Each piece is available in limited quantities.