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Making Natural Dyes and Dyeing Fabric
Trivia: Which vitamin is essential for blood clotting?
RetireHub
January 17, 2026
Rise and shine, RetireHub community! ☀️ Your Saturday newsletter is here!
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And we’re building more weekly! We’re really excited about this, and would love for you to test it out risk-free, so we’re giving everyone a free 7-day trial that signs up at the link below:
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What We’re Reading
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 | By: Mitchell Katz A mystery that ticks with deadly precision! A brilliant but anxious watchmaker unveils a world-changing invention—just as his trusted caregiver is murdered and powerful rivals close in. Time Eternal is a taut mystery where genius, greed, and horological obsession collide. |
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On this day in 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown when Queen Liliʻuokalani was forced from power, ending the Hawaiian monarchy and setting the stage for Hawaii to later become a U.S. state.
Making Natural Dyes and Dyeing Fabric
Long before store-bought fabric dyes existed, people colored cloth using what they could find in nature. Flowers, leaves, bark, roots, and even kitchen scraps like onion skins and avocado pits were turned into beautiful, lasting colors. Today, natural dyeing is making a comeback as a relaxing, creative, and eco-friendly craft.
Natural dyeing starts with gathering your dye materials. Common items include onion skins for warm golden tones, red cabbage for purples and blues, turmeric for bright yellow, coffee or tea for browns, and avocado pits or skins for soft pinks. You can also use plants like marigolds, blackberries, and spinach. Each plant creates its own unique shade, and results often vary slightly—part of the charm of natural dyeing.
Before dyeing, fabric needs to be prepared with a “mordant,” which helps the color stick. Common mordants include salt or vinegar for simple projects, or alum for more lasting color. Natural fibers work best—cotton, linen, wool, and silk absorb dye far better than synthetic fabrics. Wash your fabric first to remove any finishes, then soak it in your mordant solution before dyeing.
To make dye, chop your plant material and place it in a large pot of water. Simmer it for about an hour until the water becomes deeply colored. Strain out the plant pieces, then add your damp fabric to the dye bath. Let it simmer gently for another hour, stirring occasionally. For deeper color, you can leave the fabric soaking overnight.
Once you’re happy with the color, remove the fabric and rinse it in cool water until the water runs clear. Hang it to dry away from direct sunlight. Over time, natural dyes may fade slightly, but that soft aging is part of their natural beauty.
One of the most fun parts of natural dyeing is experimenting. You can tie fabric for patterns, fold it for simple resist designs, or layer different dye baths to create new shades. Changing the mordant or water type can also affect color—iron can darken shades, while vinegar may brighten them.
Natural dyeing isn’t about perfection. It’s about slowing down, getting your hands a little messy, and enjoying the surprise of what nature creates. Every piece you dye will be truly one of a kind—a small work of art made from simple ingredients and creativity.
Whether you’re dyeing napkins, scarves, tote bags, or old clothes that need new life, natural dyes turn everyday items into something special. It’s a gentle craft that connects you to history, nature, and the joy of making something beautiful with your own hands.
Have You Ever Tried Natural Dyeing? |
Yesterday’s Poll Results: Which habit helps you most when screens start to bother you?
Most readers say the biggest help when screens start to bother them is simply taking frequent breaks and stretching—it was the clear favorite by a wide margin. Limiting daily screen time and “just pushing through” landed in the middle, showing that people handle screen fatigue very differently. Only a small group relies mainly on blue light settings or posture tweaks, which suggests simple movement and stepping away still beats any tech fix.
TOP COMMENTS
“Leave it be, and do something else.”
“I need to wear glasses, so I have them coated to limit the blue screen light. This helps.”
“Before I retired, the client of my security company, pushed ergonomics. I've been using a combination of all of these for several years.”
“I do listen to my body. Stiffness or pain will encourage me to move.”
Why Open Days in Retirement Can Feel Hard — and How to Find Your Rhythm
Even when retirement is everything you hoped for — slow mornings, no meetings, freedom from deadlines — long stretches of unstructured time can feel unsettling and unmooring. That lack of built-in rhythm can make days feel slippery or “unfinished,” especially for people who spent years juggling careers, caregiving, and responsibilities that once gave their time shape. Rather than rigid schedules, creating gentle anchors (small, grounding habits) and rhythms (a repeatable weekly pattern) can help turn open days into ones that feel intentional, satisfying, and even enjoyable.
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Slang Phrase of the Day
Phrase: Flash of genius
Meaning: A sudden, brilliant idea or insight that comes quickly and unexpectedly, often solving a problem or sparking creativity in the moment.
In a sentence: “When I finally figured out how to fix the remote after weeks of struggling, it felt like a real flash of genius.”
Good News of the Day
Good Samaritan Donates Safe New Escort Vehicle to Buddhist Peace Walk After Serious Crash
A group of Buddhist monks walking 2,300 miles from Texas to Washington, D.C. in a Walk for Peace received a heartfelt act of kindness after their original escort vehicle was destroyed in a collision that seriously injured several monks. A Texas small-business owner donated a fully equipped and insured replacement vehicle—with new tires and safety lights—so the monks can continue their journey spreading compassion and unity across the country. The gesture reflects the spirit of Dana (charity) from Buddhist teachings, and the group continues their trek with renewed support from communities along the way.
Other Publications We Like
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RetireHub Trivia
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Want more trivia? Play our “Nostalgia Trivia Game” on our site! We add fresh questions daily, so there’s always something new to test your knowledge.
Not into trivia? No worries! We’ve got plenty of other fun games to enjoy, like:
Which instrument was invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s? |
Who painted The Son of Man, featuring a man with an apple in front of his face? |
Which vitamin is essential for blood clotting? |
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