Onion Skin Fabric Dye

5 from 1 vote

Save your onion skins to make a natural dye for natural fabrics

5 cloth produce bags, made of natural fibers
1 stainless steel or other nonreactive stock pot large enough for the fabric to move around in the filled pot
1 metal spoon
1 large bowl
clothesline or drying rack

Fill a large stock pot with enough water that the fabric can move around in it. Add ½ teaspoon of mild dish detergent and, if you have it, 2 tablespoons of washing soda. Bring to a boil, place the fabric in the water and reduce to a simmer. Stir continuously for the first 2 minutes, then once every 10 minutes for an hour. Top up the water if necessary as it simmers. The water may turn quite yellow or brown. This step washes the fabric and prepares it to take the dye. Remove the fabric and when cool enough to handle, wring it out and hang it to dry.
Empty the pot. Add the onion skins and fill the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the temperature and simmer the onion skins for an hour. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the dye bath sit overnight to render a brighter color.

Remove the onion skins from the pot and bring the dye bath to a boil. While you wait, wet the fabric by soaking it in a large bowl of water. Wring the water out of the fabric and set the bowl of water aside to reuse in the final step (if it's clean after the soaking).
Immerse the fabric in the boiling dye bath. Stir continuously for the first two minutes, then once every 10 minutes for an hour.
Remove the fabric, immerse it in the bowl of water to rinse it, wring it out and hang it to dry. The color will dry a lighter shade.
If you’d like to dye more fabric later, store the dye in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer-term storage, freeze it and be sure to label it.