Official Kids Mag

Name: Kids Mag 4 x 2" Customer Name: FLOWERS N FRIENDS Ad Number: 072521NWR8781 479-846-2137 www.flowersnfriends.com Best of Northwest Arkansas the We Deliver in Northwest Arkansas Adding a little color for Back To School source: www.kidsgardening.org Here are some ideas for plants to grow and/or collect for dyeing. Note that plants are listed with corresponding colors, but your results may vary depending on the amount of the plant used, maturity of the plant, and other factors. (Remember to never pick a flower that seems to be in short supply in an area or that you know to be endangered.) blue Leaves: red cabbage Fruit: elderberries Leaves & stems: tomato plants Yellow Leaves: alder, mint, parsley, birch Flowers: aster, calendula, chamomile, dandelion, golden marguerite, marigolds, zinnias Leaves & stems: bindweed, mullein, wild mustard green Leaves: carrots, golden marguerite Flowers: black-eyed Susan Leaves & stems: spinach orange Flowers: dyer's coreopsis Other: turmeric gold/brass Flowers: sunflower Leaves & stems: cocklebur, dock, goldenrod, redroot pigweed Seeds: sunflower tan/brown Leaves: birch Fruit: hawthorn Other: coffee grounds Magenta Roots: dandelion pink Leaves: red cabbage purple Fruit: wild grapes, mulberries red Roots: madder black Black walnut hulls • Alum (aluminum potassium sulfate from a pharmacy, craft store, or spices section of grocery store) • Plastic wrap • Paper towels • Plastic or wooden spoons things to think about: Why do plants have so many different colors? What purpose might they serve for the plant? The green in most leaves is the pigment chlorophyll which helps capture the sun's energy and convert it to chemical energy, which is then stored and used as food for the plant. Colors in flowers attract insects and other animals that, in turn, pollinate and help plants reproduce. Some plants have colorful fruits that attract animals to eat them, inadvertently spreading the plant's seeds as they do so. Scientists believe that other pigments may help protect plants from disease. sun-brewed dye bath We're going to use the sunshine to extract the pigments from plants to use as a natural dye. This is a simple dyeing method used by Native Americans that takes advantage of the sun as a heat source. 1 Collect plant parts noted in the chart at right. Crush berries and chop other plant parts, place them in the jars, and add water to within an inch of the brim. Cap the jars. (Note: If jar lids contain metal, cover the mouth first with plastic wrap to prevent the metal from reacting with the dye.) 2 Place the jar in a warm, sunny place for several days and then strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a strainer. 3 To each pint jar, add 1/4 teaspoon of alum and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon. Place moistened material or yarn in each jar, distribute it evenly, and replace the lids. Return jars to a sunny spot for 1 to 4 days. 4 Remove material and rinse it gently in cool, clear water. Place it on paper towels to dry. results: • Did the plants produce the colors you were expecting? • How do the colors from these natural dyes compared to those obtained by synthetic dyes? It's generally easier to dye animal fibers like wool and silk than plant- based fibers like cotton or linen. The protein molecules in wool fibers provide a lot of active "sites" to which pigment molecules can attach. Cotton, flax, and other plant fibers, on the other hand, are made mostly of smoother cellulose, which makes it harder for the pigment to attach. www.officialKidsMag.com • august 2021 • 9

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