Project Options

Natural Dyes Project: Option 1                                                                          Due in November
Make some of your own natural dyes and use them to dye something from home.  Bring in your creation with a description of your dyeing process and what you used.

Natural Dyes Project: Option 2                                                                          Due in November
Experiment with mordants (examples and definition in the 'extras' section).  Dye a bunch of sample material with the same dye, but either use a different mordant for each material or put the mordant on the cloth before you dye, while you dye, or after you dye.  Which mordant/time works best for the dye that you used?  You may also choose to test the mordants by washing your material either by hand or in the washer to note how many times the material can be washed with the mordant and still show color.  Note- if you keep detailed notes of all your data, this would make a great project for the Science Fun Fair coming up in April! (Hint, hint.)

Natural Dyes Project: Option 3                                                                          Due in November
Try an experiment with chromatography (separating the pigments hidden in things).  Look at some of the experiments listed on the websites below or call/e-mail and ask Leah for other ideas. 

Extras
So you want to know what a mordant is? It's that thing that basically binds the dye to the material.  It's kind of like the glue that holds them together.  Some mordants I've read more about include vinegar, salt, washing soda, alum, cream of tartar, iron, and even urea (urine).  There are many more listed in books and on the internet.  If you experiment with any of them, please let me know how it turns out!

Okay, now how about this chromatography thing?  We didn't have a chance to discuss it in some of the classes, but chromatography is, in our case, using a liquid (like water) to separate a chemical mixture (like pigments).  An easy way to try chromatography is through a cute craft: cut a coffee filter into a butterfly shape and color it with washable markers.  Put a clothespin in the center (for the body), then spray the wings with water and watch how the colors separate.  Sometimes you'll see some surprising pigments used to create certain colors, especially black!

And one last thing.  If you want some ideas for things to use as natural dyes that you can find around the house, you can easily search on the web, or here's that rainbow list I had posted on the board.  Or experiment with things not listed and let me know if you come up with anything that makes a really cool-colored dye.  The sky's the limit!  (No, literally- it doesn't have any pigment, so you really can't use it as a natural dye.)

Websites:
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly-colors.htm -this has a great explanation (review) as to why we see different colors on butterflies

http://www.umaine.edu/NSFGK-12/images/PDFs/natdye.pdf  –a natural dye activity using blueberries, spinach, & onion peels

http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Botany/BOT0204.html -lesson plan in chromatography for 1st grade & up

http://www.uaf.edu/olcg/globalchange/phenology/pigment.html -pen and leaf chromatography experiment description

Books (all of these were checked out from the Hennepin County Library and were displayed at the front of the room during class):
The Art and Craft of natural dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use, by J. N. Lilies

Dyes and Paints: A Hands-on Guide to Coloring Fabric, by Elin Noble.

Dyes from American Native Plants: A Practical Guide, by Lynne Richards.

Vegetable Dyeing; 151 Color Recipes for Dyeing Yarns and Fabrics with Natural Materials, by Alma Lesch.

Tie-dye: The How-to Book, by Virginia Gleser.