How to Dye Fabric and Yarn with Rose Petals

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Collect and freeze the petals

Once your roses start to wilt, pick the petals off each flower and put them in a freezer bag in the freezer. Keep only the petals. Leave out the stems, the leaves and the little flowery bits in the middle of the rose. You can use petals from anywhere between about 6 and 24 roses. About 6 roses gave a soft pink on a previous try, and the batch in the video used about 18 red roses, so it came out darker. More petals means a darker colour.

Step 2 — Simmer and strain

Put the petals in a big pot and cover them with a good amount of water, more than you think you need, since a lot of it evaporates as it cooks. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat, and once the boil is really vigorous, turn it down to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour to pull all of the pigment out of the petals. Set a strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture through, then push out as much liquid as you can. The petals will have lost their bright red and the liquid will look a mauvey beige, which is normal. The spent petals can go in the compost.

Step 3 — Pre-soak and soak your items

Before dyeing, soak your items in water for about an hour so they're saturated and ready to absorb the dye. The pieces in the video started in cold water and were switched to warm about 15 minutes before dyeing. Put the wet items in a container and pour the strained dye over them. Leave them to soak for two to three hours, or longer. The pieces in the video sat for about 12 hours, and the colours came out strong. Whatever you're dyeing, from a few swatches to a whole outfit, follows the same steps.

Step 4 — Squeeze and rinse well

Put on gloves so the dye doesn't stain your fingers and cuticles. Fill a big bowl with cold water and add about a teaspoon of gentle detergent. Squeeze the excess dye out of each piece, then rinse it really well, rubbing it together until little colour is coming out. A lot of colour will wash out at first, and that's normal. It's loose pigment that wasn't fully absorbed, a bit like rinsing hair dye, and the piece will still have plenty of colour. Rinsing matters most if you're dyeing clothes, so you don't end up with dark stains around the underarms or neckline. Finish with one more good squeeze.

Step 5 — Dry, then wash cold

Lay each piece out on a dry towel in the sun for four to five hours to dry completely and settle the final colour. It isn't a rush, so half a day or even a full day is fine. Once it's completely dry, wash it in the washing machine on a cold cycle with a little detergent. This removes any leftover pigment that didn't make it into the fibres and helps prevent bleeding onto your clothes later.

What to expect from rose petal dye

Don't expect the red of the roses. The simmered petals turn the liquid a mauvey beige, and what ends up on the fabric is a different story. In the video, cotton tape, cotton yarn and cotton muslin were all dyed together in the same container for the same amount of time, and they came out very different. The bleached white cotton tape soaked up a full, dark purple, close to blackberry but brighter. The crocheted yarn came out a soft, mauve pink, and the unbleached muslin ended up looking like the bleached cotton rather than the way you'd expect an unbleached fabric to dye. It doesn't make complete sense, even though all three are 100% cotton, but the results are pretty, so treat each piece as its own swatch and expect some surprises.

The dye is non-toxic and biodegradable because it comes from a plant, as long as you aren't allergic to roses. It's also a good use for wilted flowers. This is an easy one to try with kids or a class.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to dye fabric and yarn with rose petals?
You will need petals from roughly 6 to 24 roses, a big pot, plenty of water, a bowl with a strainer, a container for soaking, gloves, a big bowl of cold water, about a teaspoon of gentle detergent, a dry towel, a washing machine, and the items you want to dye. In the video these were crocheted swatches of white Bernat Handicrafter Cotton yarn, unbleached cotton muslin, and bleached white cotton tape.

How many roses do I need to make rose petal dye?
Petals from anywhere between about 6 and 24 roses will work. About 6 roses gave a soft pink on a previous attempt, and the batch in the video used about 18 red roses and came out darker. More petals gives a darker colour.

How long should I soak fabric or yarn in rose petal dye?
Two to three hours will absorb a good amount of dye. The pieces in the video sat for about 12 hours and came out with strong colours, so it's fine to leave them longer.

Why did the same cotton come out different colours in the same dye bath?
In the video, cotton tape, cotton yarn and cotton muslin were dyed together in the same container for the same time, and each came out a different colour, from deep purple to a soft mauve pink. It wasn't fully explained, so expect some surprises and treat each piece as a swatch.

Is rose petal dye safe to use?
Because the dye comes from a plant, it is non-toxic and biodegradable as long as you aren't allergic to roses. Wear gloves while you work so the dye doesn't stain your skin and nails.

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