Solar Dye Kits
When we designed our kits we wanted to make them as easy to use as possible, so we designed solar dye kits! These kits come with fabric and embroidery floss prepared for dyeing, a plant to dye with, and detailed instructions on how to use it.
All you need to add is a glass jar, some hot water, and the sun.
We have an illustrated guide to our dye kits below. Happy dyeing!
Step-by-step guide to the Prairie Fire Solar Dye Kits
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If you purchased your dye kit in person it is 100% ready to use! If you ordered from our online store you will need to find a glass jar to get started with your kit. You’ll need a jar that is about 20-36 OZ (we like to clean out spaghetti sauce or sauerkraut jars).
Add the fibers to the jar. Make sure they are fully submerged.
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Let the jar with liquid and dyestuff sit until you can safely and comfortably touch the jar.
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Remove the fibers from the jar.
Note: the jar may be quite warm if it is sitting in full sun at midday. If you want to remove your fibers and it’s too warm, you can wait til it cools off in the evening or use an oven mitt to move the jar to the shade or inside until it is cool enough to handle (don’t try to put it in the fridge or freezer, the glass could crack from heat shock)
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Remove the label, instructions, and fibers from your jar, leaving the dyestuff (that’s just the dye plant we’re using) in the bottom.
if you supplied your own jar pour in the dye stuff now.
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Rinse the fibers. Use cool water and rinse until the water runs clear. You can use a hose or the sink. It is safe to dump the leftover plant matter into the trash, dump it outside, or flush it down the toilet.
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Bring some water to a boil and then allow it to cool slightly.
you want enough water to almost fill the jar, leave an inch or two of empty space at the top of the jar so you have room for the fibers.
Pour the hot water over the dyestuff in the jar. WARNING: JAR WITH WATER WILL BE HOT
Let the jar sit for 12-48 hours somewhere it can get full sunlight. Patios, porches, and sunny windows all work! The more light it gets, the faster the dye will develop. In the summer you might only need 12-24 hours to get totally saturated color.
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Hang the fibers to dry out of direct sunlight.
Use them to make something fun!