This is a simple dyeing method used by Native Americans that takes advantage of the sun as a heat source. It offers lots of variables for experimentation. Consider the following to get your juices flowing: Vary amounts of fabric or yarn. Use different kinds of fabric or yarn. Vary how long you "steep" plant parts and/or fabric.

1. Collect plant parts noted in the chart below or those that you have identified via your research. (Recommended books on natural dye sources are listed in the Resources section.) 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. Place the plant material in the compost pile or worm bin.

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 them 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, and place it on paper towels to dry.

Stovetop Dye Bath

Prepared to take your dyeing project to the next step? This activity requires more equipment, time, and materials, and will reward students with more color fabric for their efforts. Use it to challenge math and inquiry skills and explore what hues the plants in your schoolyard will yield.

Students may want to experiment by leaving the fabric in the dye bath for different amounts of time, even overnight. Or they might want to do some "tie dyeing" to see what patterns emerge when they tie knots, rubber bands, or otherwise prevent the dye from penetrating throughout the fabric.

1. Getting the Color Out. Prepare plant materials as in the Sun-Brewed Dye Bath activity (above). In an enamel pot, cover the plant materials with water and then simmer them for about an hour until the water is colored and the plant tissues look bleached.

Strain the dye bath through cheesecloth or an old stocking to get rid of plant material. (Some dyers do simultaneous dyeing in which the plant materials are left in when the fabric is dyed. If you decide to do this, place the plants or the fabric in an old stocking or net bag to protect the material from direct contact.)

2. Treat the material. Wash your material with soap to remove dirt and oils that could prevent the dye from binding to the fabric. If you're using a skein of yarn, tie it loosely so the mordant and dye can penetrate well.

3. Treat with Mordant. If you're just getting started, you may choose not to use a mordant to "fix" the dye. Some plants will yield colorfast dyes without a mordant (e.g., turmeric and black walnut hulls), and others may yield color without a mordant, but it may wear out with washing and sunlight (e.g., purple cabbage).

If you're using the mordant alum to help the dye bind better to the fabric, you can either pretreat the yarn or fabric (as is typically done) or try adding the mordant directly to the dye bath.

To pretreat the yarn or fabric, measure 3/4 teaspoon alum plus 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar per each quart of water in your dye bath. Dissolve this in a cup of hot water, then add it to a pot of water (1 quart of water per each ounce of fabric). Wet the fabric to ensure penetration, then add it to the mordant solution.

Heat slowly at a simmer for one hour. (Wool, in particular, doesn't respond well to rapid temperature changes.) Remove the pot from the heat; cool and rinse the fabric before adding it to the dye bath.

4. The Dyeing Begins. Simmer for 30 to 60 minutes, turning the material gently. Stir and check the color every 10 minutes or so. Rinse dyed materials with progressively cooler water and hang them to dry.