• General

    • Cooking Plate

    • Access to Electricity & Water

    • Spoon for Stirring

    • Two Glass Jars (250ml or larger) with Lids

    • Stainless Steel Pot (for dyeing)

    • Funnel (small or medium)

    • Small Piece of Cheesecloth or Fine Mesh Fabric (for straining)

    • Measuring Scoops (various sizes) or a Scale

    • Small Screen Printing Frame with Exposed Image

    • Squeegee

  • Materials

    • Plant Material (Fresh or Dried): as Flowers, kitchen waste, leaves, or nut shells

    • Water

    • pH Paper Strips

    • Soda Ash or Baking Soda

    • Vinegar or Lemon Juice

    • All three binders: Powder Arabic Gum, Guar Gum, and Agar Agar

    • Immersion Blender

    • Cloves or Thyme Essential Oil

  • Prepare for the workshop

    1. Gather Materials

    Make sure you have everything listed above, including your plant material.

    2. Set Up Your Space

    Find a clean area with easy access to water and electricity. Lay out your kitchen towels to protect your work surface.

    3. Prep Your Dye

    Break down your plant materials into smaller pieces if necessary to make extraction easier. And extract the dye following the instructions below.

    4. Screen Printing Setup (Optional)

    If you plan to screen print during the workshop, set up your screen with an exposed image. Have cotton paper ready for testing your inks.

  • Extraction Preparations

    Step 1: Gather Organic Material

    Collect around two handfuls of plant material.

    Step 2: Drying Process (skip if using fresh material)

    Lay the plant material on cardboard or wood to dry. Avoid direct sunlight to preserve the color.

    Let it dry completely (this can take several days depending on the material).

    Step 3: Extraction Process

    Pour 500 ml of warm water over the dried or fresh plant material in a stainless steel pot. Simmer for 1 hour to extract the dye.

    Strain the liquid through a colander to remove plant solids. Pour the liquid dye into a jar and store in a cool, dark place. Optionally, refrigerate the dye and

    label the jar to avoid confusion.

    For Nuts or Roots (Optional)

    Soak nuts or roots in hot water. Let the mixture ferment in a jar for at least 2 weeks before the workshop.

    A PDF with more information can be found in the next lesson.