I want to share some home crafts to help people stuck at home during this weird time, and kitchen waste dye is the first coming into my mind. Avocado dye is really popular recently, and I will share with you guys about how to make it at your own home! There is also a video at the end of the article for you to follow.
Tools you need:
Stainless steel pot
Sieve
Wooden spoon
Baking soda
Gentle laundry detergent
Natural fabric
As avocado dye is natural dye, so you can only dye natural fabric as well, such as cotton, silk, wool and linen etc. You can start collecting your avocado skins and pits after a nice meal, and put in the freezer to prevent from rot. You need to collect at least 6 avocados to start your dyeing process, however, the more the better!
Frozen avocado skins and pits
Once you are happy about your avocado collection, take them out the freezer and prepare a big stainless steel pot for the boiling stage. Cover all your avocado skins and pits with cold water in the pot, and bring it to boil and simmer for an hour. Use you wooden spoon stir occasionally to make sure that avocado skins are not stick at the bottom. You can boil skins and pits separately for two dye vats as they do create slightly different shade of pink, or you can boil them together like I did.
Boiling avocado skins and pits in the pot
While your dye is brewing, you need to scour your fabric in hot water and 2-3 teaspoons baking soda and mix them well by using your wooden spoon. Leave it for at least half hour, or you can scour your fabric a night before your dyeing.
Once your dye is ready, then sift avocado skins and pits out from the pot. Then you can add all your pre-washed fabric in to the avocado dye pot. Make sure all your cloth is immersed in the dye evenly and leave them in the dye for at least for 4 hours or overnight.
Immerse your cloth in the avocado dye vat
After finishing dye your cloth and reach the colour you like, then squeeze the dye out and wash your fabric under the tap to wash off any excess dye. Also, give them a quick hand wash with some gentle laundry detergent after washing under the tap.
I used some simple stitch resist shibori techniques and bounding techniques to create some patterns on my fabric, which I will share some basic ones later this week. So just air dry your cloth and then you are ready to make them into something for your house!
