Today it’s easy to go into the store and buy a kit that allows you to dye your faded shirt or even get creative and make tie dye.   The fashion industry was changed by the production of of dye and back in history only the rich and powerful would be seen having expensive colors in their wardrobe.  Colors was seen as symbols of privilege and power.  In the Roman Empire, the most prestigious color was purple, they achieved this color from the shells of the Mediterranean shellfish and only a secret process was known by the Phoenician traders of the eastern seaboard.  Today we have hunters who favor camouflage, army’s are identified by their colored uniforms.  In Scotland and Ireland the color and pattern weave of the tartans were unique to each clan and no would dream of wearing an other’s tribal grouping.  Color in some cultures, color becomes a language of tribes in our society in the United States it’s widely used in advertising and the list is endless.   McDonald’s has made the colors yellow and red famous with their logo and easily recognized all over the world yet if your attending a funeral in China, mourners will be wearing white and in America you will see everyone wearing black.  What’s constant is color can have meaning no matter where you live in the world and it doesn’t matter what age you are color will be constant in your life.

During the 19th century there was an increase interest in the healing properties of light.  In 1851 Jacob Lorber wrote The Healing Power of Sunlight.  In this book he advocated that we take diseased parts of the body and expose them to the sun’s rays while adding mineral water and energized salt to find a speedier recovery. Has the use of color and light as healing tools faded into the background as the use of new drugs become more widespread.  What happened to the days of making someone you love  herbal soup and bring them flowers or taking a nature walk with your kids and pointing out all the colors of the season. 

Color in our lives is biologically constant, and based on where you live you will interpret color differently.   I found color is very important in my home, I’ve changed the color of the walls in almost every room. Daily I find myself gravitating to particular colors in my clothing and jewelry, both reflecting my mood. I’m trying to make it a goal each day to remember how color plays an important part in our lives and I don’t want my kids growing up thinking the brightest color you see is the newest cartoon on Nickelodeon.  I have to make an investment each day in noticing the gifts of nature, the colors of the beautiful plum tree, the bright pink sunsets and the magnificent rainbows that come after the rain.  It’s here for us to enjoy and color doesn’t have to cost you anything to enjoy as nature provides it free with abundance.

 Let’s take a step back in time and use what nature provides us naturally. These plant dyes can be used to create paint or use them when making home-made soap.  Keep your ideas fluid as water and you will never run out or color.

Here are some great plants and the colors you’ll get from them:

• Alfalfa – medium green
• Alkanet – steep in oil first – deep purple to muted blue
• Annatto Seed – steep in oil first – yellow orange
• Beet Root – muted pink to red
• Ground Calendula Petals – yellow
• Carrots, shredded or ground – yellow to orange
• Ground Chamomile – yellow-beige
• Chlorophyll – medium greens
• Cinnamon – tan to brown – can be an irritant
• Cloves, ground – brown
• Cochineal powder– deep red
• Cocoa powder– brown
• Coffee/coffee grounds – brown to black
• Comfrey Root – light milky brown
• Cucumber – bright green
• Curry powder – yellow
• Elderberries – steep in lye solution – light brown
• Henna, ground – olive to deep drab green – brown
• Indigo root – deep blues – caution, can stain
• Jojoba beads – come in many colors, and add exfoliation too
• Kaolin Clay – white
• Kelp/seaweed – green
• Madder root – rosy red – purple
• Milk (goats or cow’s) – tan to brown, depending upon sugar & fat content
• Morrocan Red Clay – Brick Red
• Paprika – light peach to salmon – can be an irritant
• Poppy Seeds – Blue-grey to light black specks
• Pumice, ground – grey
• Pumpkin, pureed – lovely deep orange
• Rattanjot – lavender to purple
• Rose Pink Clay – Brick red
• Rosehip seeds, ground – light tan to deep brown
• Safflower Petals- yellow to deep orange
• Saffron – yellows
• Sage – green
• Spinach – light green
• Spirulina/Blue-Green Algae – blue-green
• Titanium Dioxide- bright white
• Tumeric – gold to amber

I would love to hear your creative use of color.  Here is my lastest pictures taken over Memorial Day weekend at my Mother in Law’s home.  She has a brought some beautiful color to her landscaping.