Dyeing silks with goldenrod/ A natural dye projects for kids

I watch the goldenrod every year to know when school is about to begin. The first days of school come around the same time 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, adapted from the original tale by Suzanne Down, the child knight is given a cape to give them strength:

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

Listen to Purple Day Episode 4, which includes an autumn circle time and the story Little Child Knight.

How to Dye Silks with Goldenrod

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

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

Materials:

• 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

Method:

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. 

• Pick your goldenrod when the flowers are bright yellow.
• Fill the 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 off the heat and let it sit for at least 4 hours (or as long as overnight). This recipe is very flexible and forgiving!
• Return to the dye mixture and strain out the goldenrod. Toss/compost the goldenrod.
• Add alum to the dye mixture and stir until well combined. (Keep alum out of reach of children. This is "an adult job" in our house.)
• If the dye has cooled, warm it up to the safest hot temperature. 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 ensure the entire piece is evenly wet. You don’t want any folded portions to remain dry.
• Add the wet silk to the dye and stir well to ensure the dye evenly saturates the silk. Let the silk sit in the dye bath for as long as you want to achieve the desired darkness of your color. (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!

Like this craft project? Check out these!

Natural dye projects are a fun activity for 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!)

Sample Storytime

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.