Names:
COMPARING NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC DYES
Objectives


To extract natural dyes
To observe the effect of natural and synthetic dyes on a range of fabric types.
Curriculum links
English National Curriculum:
Science 3: 2a, 2b
Design Technology: 4a
Approximate time required: 2 hours
Resources needed
Per class of 30 children:
Dyeing naturally sheet
Optional display of plants, vegetables and flowers used for natural dyes (see lists below)
30g Red cabbage (1 leaf)
30g Onion skins (5-6 onions)
5g Turmeric or 30g chamomile flowers
Measuring jug (about 500 ml)
Cooker hob
Old pan
Old spoon for stirring
Rubber gloves
Fine sieve
2m Strip of Multi-fibre strip (see List of Suppliers )
3 Packets of synthetic dye (blue, yellow and brown) - from hardware/department stores
Fixative (to be bought with cold water dyes only)
Kitchen salt (a minimum of 15 tablespoons, to 'fix' natural dyes to the fabric)
Washing line and pegs - optional
Commercial dye colour chart -from hardware/department stores
Note: Turmeric produces a vibrant shade of yellow but requires about 30 minutes settling time
after boiling in the dyebath. Chamomile available as tea bags from health food shops) also
produces a yellow dye and can be strained in seconds.
SAFETY NOTE
Extracting and using the dyes should be carried out with adult supervision and any part of the
activity using boiling water must be carried out by the teacher. Rubber gloves should be worn
whenever the dyes are handled.
Organisation
Initial class discussion followed by group work.
Advance preparation
The strip of multi-fibre should be cut into 10 x 10 cm squares. The 'acetate' end of each square
should be marked in some way, e.g. indelible ink. Otherwise, it is hard to identify the fibre once
the identification label has been removed.
Names:
If a lack of time, supervision or equipment does not permit the children to extract dyes, these
can be prepared before the lesson and displayed in transparent, sealed containers alongside
their sources.
Carrying out the activity
A display of plants, vegetables and flowers, whose colours are used in dyes, makes an
attractive starting point for this activity, and provides a useful focus for discussion of natural
dyes. For ideas on which plants to include, go to the Background Information below and
Sources for Natural Dyestuffs.
The children extract the natural dyes following the recipe given, and dye pieces of multi-fibre
strip using natural and synthetic dyes. Each group uses the same colour of natural and
synthetic dye, in order to make comparisons. So, in a class of 30 children divided into groups of
five, two groups would use each colour.
Recipe for a natural dye
The leaves/flowers, etc. used to obtain the colour are referred to as the dyestuff.
Ingredients: 30g dyestuff (5g if using turmeric)
250 ml water
1 tablespoon kitchen salt
1.
2.
to
3.
Pour the water in an old pan and add the dyestuff.
Bring the mixture to the boil and boil for 15 minutes, topping up the water when necessary
maintain a constant volume.
Strain the dyebath and reserve for use with the fabric.
Dyeing the fabric with a natural dye
1. Add hot or cold water to the dyebath to obtain a warm temperature to improve the take
up of the dye .
2. Add 15g fabric, which has been pre-soaked in warm water, to the dyebath.
3. Bring the dyebath to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Even if the colour is quickly
transmitted, leave for the required time so it becomes fast and even.
4. Cool the dyebath naturally and rinse the fabric in cool water.
5. Dry the fabric on a washing line across the room or on a radiator.
Dyeing the fabric with a synthetic dye
Instructions for use are given in the packet. A packet of fixative and kitchen salt (4 tablespoons
per packet) are required when using cold water dyes. The fabric is steeped in the dyebath for
an hour, stirring for the first 10 minutes. The fabric is rinsed in cold water (as for the natural
dyes), rather than washed in soapy water.
Comparing the dyes
Once the fabric is dyed and dried, each group cut and attach strips of the fabric to their record
sheet Dyeing naturally sheet, to make a visual comparison. Children also use the sheet to
record their observations about the colours produced by the two dyes on the different fabric
types..
A colourful collective display can be made of the results of the investigations, showing the
colours and how they were obtained.
Names:
Background information
Plants or flowers giving a colour-fast dye are called substantive and those needing a fixative are
called fugitive. A classroom display of dyestuffs could be divided into these two categories.
Substantive dyes
coffee (used coffee grains)
henna (powder or leaf)
avocado (skins)
seaweed (bladder-wrack)
blackberries
mustard
acorns
grass
onion skins
saffron red
cabbage
beetroot
dahlia
cochineal
daffodil flowers
turmeric
Fugitive dyes
elder (leaves and berries)
bracken
chamomile flowers
There are many other plants, barks and flowers that can be used. Flowers offer interesting
dyestuffs, as the majority give shades of yellow or green; even though the flowers themselves
may naturally be bright and vivid!
Natural dyes have been used for thousands of years. The first commercial synthetic dye was
discovered in 1856 in the UK by William Henry Perkin. It was a purple dye, often referred to as
Perkin's Purple. Until this dye was discovered, a dress dyed purple could start fading in a few
hours! The book 'Mauve' by Simon Garfield tells the story (pub. Faber) ISBN 0-571-20197-0.
Synthetic dyes give bright and vivid colours, many natural dyes do not. A greater range of
colours and shades is available from synthetic rather than natural dyes. Comparing the colours
produced with a commercial colour chart emphasizes this point.
The same dye has quite different effects on different fabrics. For example, some synthetic dyes
are made specifically to dye cotton, or others to dye acrylic, and will not colour other fabrics, or
will not produce the desired colour on other fabrics.
The multi-fibre fabric used in this activity is produced for the colour industry for testing dyes.
It has a very high specification for each fabric, and industry uses it to test the quality and
effectiveness of their dyes. In this way, they can ensure that the high standards required of
their dyes are met.
Extensions / links
Science Quality testing of dyes has been written to follow this activity. Children test each dye's
resistance to sunlight, detergents and friction.
Names:
SOURCES FOR NATURAL DYESTUFFS
The table below provides information about plants suitable for use as a dyestuff. The
procedure for making the dyestuffs is as outlined in the activity notes, unless stated
differently here.
In general, flowers and vegetables should be boiled for 15-45 mins. Leaves should be
boiled for 30-120 mins (hard or tough leaves need the longer time, and an overnight
soaking prior to boiling) and chopped bark for 1-2 hours (after soaking for 3 days).
Dyestuff
Colour
Collection and
preparation
Soaking
time
Boiling
time
Strain Simmering
time with
fabric
Acorns
Brown
As they ripen, and
use immediately
for deepest colour.
Overnight
1 hour
Yes
1 hour
Avocado
Cream
to
fawn
2 skins will dye
25g of cloth. Cut
the skins into
small pieces
soak
overnight
30 mins
Boil for
30 mins
Yes
45 mins
Blackberries
Bluegrey
Fresh ripe fruit,
None
use immediately or
freeze till required.
15 mins
Yes
1 hour
Coffee
Cream
to
brown
Used filter coffee
grains (or instant
coffee)
Overnight
(though not
essential)
30 mins
Yes
45 mins
Daffodil
Yellow
Fresh heads just
as they start to
wilt
None
20-30
mins
Yes
45 mins
Dahlia
Yellow
or gold
Pick flowers as
they show signs of
dying
None
20 mins
Yes
45 mins
Elder
Yellow
Leaves
or green
None
1 hour
Yes
1 hour
None
30 mins
Yes
45 mins
Honeysuckle Yellow
Pick fresh shoots
None
(not woody stems)
in mid-May before
flowers appear.
30 mins
Yes
45 mins
Stinging
nettle
Creamy
to
yellow
Chop nettle plant
into small pieces
None
45 mins
Yes
45 mins
Tea
Brown/
orange
Loose tea or
teabags
None
30 mins
Yes
1 hour
Pinkish
violet
Berries
Names:
Dyeing naturally?
Stick pieces of your fabric in these spaces and write the name of the dyestuff
used below.
Fabric pieces coloured using natural dyes
acetate
cotton
nylon
polyester
acrylic
wool
nylon
polyester
acrylic
wool
1. Colour from
2. Colour from
3. Colour from
Fabric pieces coloured using synthetic dyes
acetate
cotton
4. Colour from
5. Colour from
6. Colour from
What do you like or dislike about these
colours?
What effect does the dye have on the
different fabrics?
What is the same about colours from
natural and synthetic dyes?
What is different about colours from
natural and synthetic dyes?