Eco-printing with plants—here’s how to decorate a bag, apron, and tablecloth with beautiful natural colors

Ecoprinting—supplies

Put a piece of plastic inside the tote bag if you don’t want a ghost image on the other side. Lay the flowers on the fabric while they’re still dripping wet. Delicate, watercolor-like red and blue shades from pansies, carnations, and rose petals transferred without iron solution. Brownish floral prints were achieved by dipping chrysanthemums in diluted iron water. Cover with a very thin piece of fabric, fold it in half, and roll tightly around a wooden stick. Steam for about an hour, until thoroughly wet.

Arrange leaves on a white cotton apron. The apron shown here was printed with fresh, untreated ostrich fern fronds and rowan leaves. Lay a slightly heavier cloth soaked in iron water over the entire apron to keep it from getting ghost images. Fold the piece lengthwise into four sections, roll it tightly around a glass bottle, and tie it with jute string. Steam for 2 hours, then let it dry, wash, and iron.

Spread maple, birch, and apple tree leaves—soaked for half an hour in vinegar water and dipped in iron water—on a thin cotton tablecloth, along with lilac and ornamental apple leaves. Cover the arrangement with a thin cotton sheet that allows the colors to pass through, creating ghost prints on the tablecloth. Fold and roll the fabric tightly around a glass jar. Steam for an hour. Let it dry, then wash and iron.

The top layer of fabric often picks up a lovely ghost print. You can use it to make scarves or napkins.

Oak leaves are high in tannins and release color well, but you can get a strong brown or gray print by dipping the leaf in iron water. The underside of leaves releases color best.

How to eco-print

Preparations

If you want, make an iron water mixture by soaking rusty nails for a week in water with one part vinegar for every six parts water. For a quicker method, soak them overnight in a solution of 2 dl vinegar and 2 dl water. If needed, you can dilute the iron solution with water during dyeing. Wash your fabrics to remove any detergent or finishing residues. Cotton and linen, which are cellulose-based, must be pretreated with soy (for example, soy milk) so plant colors adhere better. Silk and wool don’t need pretreatment. Soak the fabric in soy, squeeze out the excess, and let it dry. Soak the plants for half an hour in a mixture of one part vinegar and two parts water.

1. Place plants on dry fabric or fabric moistened with vinegar water. If you want darker, more intense prints, dip them in the iron solution first. For a watercolor-like effect, spray vinegar water on the fabric or keep the flowers dripping wet.

2. Place an untreated piece of fabric on top to prevent ghost images on the main layer. If you want ghost images, choose a thin top layer.

3. Roll the fabrics tightly around a wooden dowel or a glass jar.

4. Tie the rolls with jute string.

5. Steam the rolls in a water bath for about 1–3 hours. You can stack multiple rolls in the pot, but rotate them occasionally.

6. Let the bundles cool. You can also leave them to set and open them once dry. Unroll the fabrics and wash them by hand a couple of times with mild detergent. Let them dry, then iron both sides with a hot iron, using a thin cloth as a press cloth.