There’s something so delicate and romantic about using a natural dye. Maybe it’s the time spent growing and harvesting, maybe it’s the nature-to-skin contact— overall it’s a beautiful way to color a piece with intention. I’ve been exploring natural dyes in an attempt to update pieces in my wardrobe that have faded, I’ve grown bored of and/or to cover up small stains.
While there are so many (SO many) plants, spices and fruits/veggies that can be used as dyes, I’ve been experimenting with avocados lately as they’re easily found in my kitchen already. The pits and skins are actually what’re used to create the dye, so this is a great way to make use of all parts of the fruit. Avocados produce the dreamiest deep blush color, a sweet contrast from their dark earthy colored skins. If you're curious, I’ve put together a simple step-by- step guide below.
How to Dye Clothing with Avocado Pits and Skins
1. Select the items you’d like to dye— light-colored natural fabrics such as linen, cotton and silk work best. Make sure items are clean as residue on fabrics can cause an uneven dye turn-out.
2. Clean avocado pits and skins. Try to get as much ‘green’ off as possibly to get the best color. Tip: Keep clean avocado pits and skins in the freezer until you are ready to dye, this won’t affect their dyeing ability and allows you to build up your supply.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for water to boil, if you’re going for a tie-dyed look tie up items now.
4. Add skins and pits to boiling water. For a large pot I do about 6-8 pits and their skins. Let boil for ten minutes.
5. Turn off heat and add clothing items. Note: Make sure fabric is okay for hot water, if you’re dyeing silk do not add to dye bath until water has cooled.
6. Let soak for 24 hours. Stir with a wooden spoon every so often to ensure color distributes evenly.
7. Remove items and let air dry.
8. Wash! Some natural dyes require a mordant to help dye adhere and last, avocado is a natural mordant so no extra steps needed, the color is set.
9. Your new naturally-dyed pieces are ready to wear!
The process is fairly easy and most people have a successful first run. It’s fun to experiment with different durations, amount of avocado skins/pits and different fabrics as you can create many different shades of pink. Overall, this is a simple way to update pieces in your wardrobe and my go to for ‘saving’ pieces previously thought to be ruined— both of which are tributes to the practice of a sustainable wardrobe