The Wild Makers

Dye your own bespoke bandana made from organic cotton, with a selection of botanical dye stuff and extracts to create beautiful textures and imprints.

“Give yourself the time to experiment and play as this kit work best with a sense of curiosity.”

What’s included in the kit 

• 1x organic cotton bandana 

• 1x sachet of Aluminium Acetate (Mordant)

• 1x sachet of Madder root extract (soft pinks/red)

• 1x sachet of Sappan wood extract (Oranges and golden yellows)

• 1x sachet Safflower (vibrant yellows or pinks)

• 1x sachet of dried flowers (rose petals, chamomile, hibiscus etc)

• 150cm of twine

What you’ll need 

• White Vinegar in a spray bottle

• Clean pot and steamer (optional See step 9)

• And Ironing Board and Iron with steam function or clothes steamer. 

• Tongs 

Health and Safety

Although this kit is filled with natural ingredients and pigments it is worth noting that all equipment and tools needed (i.e tongs, pots and pans etc) will not be safe to use for food consumption after this point. If you are new to natural dying we recommend getting a new set of tongs and pots to help you safely dye endless beautiful creations without the risk of harming yourself or others.

It is also worth mentioning that you will be using a mordant that may cause some skin/ eye irritation or harm if inhaled, please use it with caution and in a well-ventilated area. We advise you to use gloves whilst handling the mordant (aluminium acetate) to prevent any damage or harm to yourself or others using the kit. 

The Steps 

1. Scour fabric - Use your washing machine with ph-neutral soap. this will remove any residual oils, grease or marks not visible to the eye but may block and prevent the dyes from being fully absorbed into the fabric. Use the hottest setting on your washing machine or simmer for a minimum of 45-60min in your designated dying pot. 

2. Mordant fabric - once the fabric has been cleaned it is ready to be mordanted. Dissolve the provided mordant in a small amount of boiled water before adding it to the pot add enough water to fully submerge the bandana allowing it to move freely and begin to simmer for at least 45min. Allow to cool fully in the water - stirring frequently to allow the mordant to fully penetrate the fabric. 

   • Once cool you can continue to step 3, equally, you can dry and store your bandana to continue the steps at a more suitable time.

   • Prepare a clean surface on a table to start the bundling process. Lay your bandana flat on the table. Ensuring that it is completely flat, begin by spraying a white vinegar evenly across the surface. 

   • This allows for the dyes to penetrate the fabric and brightens the pigments. 

3. Our pro tip at this stage is to plan exactly how you would like the final outcome to look and how you intend to fold and roll the fabric. 

4. By folding it in half horizontally or diagonally you can create beautiful symmetrical imprints; to do this simply fold the bandana in half and use this as a guide as to where to distribute your dyestuff. 

   • Or if you would rather have a continuous random pattern you will want to cover the whole fabric area. 

5. Begin by sprinkling your chosen extracts, flowers and dye stuffs from the kit - Here's where you can play around with the layout and overall style of the final look. Ensuring you go right up to the edges of the fabric and folds to create a smooth transition and edge.

• Why not get extra creative and use various additional items from the pantry or garden such as yellow or red onion skins, turmeric (please note that this will eventually shift and fade in colour) or various flowers such as hibiscus, cosmos, Scabios, hollyhock and marigold.

6. Once you are satisfied that you have covered and used as much of the dyes as you want you are ready to begin rolling. *If you have chosen to have a symmetrical print, spray a little more white vinegar on the empty half and fold it over the bandana and dyestuff, press firmly.

• Begin by rolling from one short edge to the other, ensuring you are making this as tight as possible and keeping the tension nice and tight. The tighter the roll the clearer the imprint and better the result will be. You should end up with a very thin and tight tube. 

  7. Holding your rolled fabric tightly you are now going to want to roll it into a small circle, almost like a small compact snail shell. This will ensure you bundle is firmly compact and easier to tigh up. 

  • Use the provided string to begin wrapping your bundle tightly, ensuring you have enough string remaining to make a small knot to ensure it doesn’t unfold in the dying process. 

  8. The next stage has two options. Boiling or steaming. If you have a steamer pan or steaming rack you can produce beautiful intricate imprints onto the fabric, with defined lines and speckles from the extracts and dyestuff. If you would rather have a final outcome that looks more abstract and covers the whole fabric with washy tones and various botanical imprints then you will want to submerge your bandana in simmering water. 

  9. Both will want to be done for a minimum of 1 hour, checking and turning the bundle over frequently to allow for even penetration. Once you are satisfied remove from the heat and allow to cool. If you are able to resist unfolding it the colours will deepen and saturate the fabric further. Like we said at the beginning, this kit is limitless and completely down to your choice/preference on how you want to create the final outcome - each time will be completely unique!

  10. You are now ready to untie the bundle and shake all the remnant dyestuff (you can always save these and dry them out for future use (although they may not provide as strong a colour as the first time they will still add textures and some colour to future projects if dried and stored correctly. 

  11. Allow your freshly bundle-dyed bandana to dry fully before applying a hot steam iron to help cure the dyes and you should be ready to use and enjoy your new bundle-dyed bandana.