BOTANICAL HEIRLOOM GUIDE
How to Naturally Dye Your Silk with Bouquet Blooms
Our Wild Pearl silk pieces are gently treated with a natural dye fixative, allowing the fibres to fully receive and hold botanical colour. After your wedding, it can be dyed with petals and blooms from your own bouquet, softly imprinting the silk with their delicate traces. A beautiful way to transform fleeting flowers into a lasting keepsake, carrying the memory of your celebration in silk.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Please read the following.
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Your fresh (or lightly dried) bouquet flowers and petals
A dedicated pot with steamer insert and lid (not used for food)
Clean cotton cloth or baking paper
String
Water
Gloves
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Use pots, utensils and tools dedicated to dyeing only — do not reuse for food preparation.
Work in a well-ventilated area, especially when steaming.
Take care around hot steam and water.
Use gloves when handling bundles and plant matter.
Keep children and pets safely away from the dyeing area.
Natural dyes are gentle, but the process still involves heat and plant matter — treat it with care.
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Your silk has been pre-mordanted with a natural dye fixative, meaning it’s ready to receive and hold botanical colour. Flowers can be full of surprises! Just because a bloom is a certain colour doesn’t mean it will dye your fabric the same shade. Nature often has hidden hues that reveal themselves during the dyeing process.
I.
PREPARE
Gently remove petals and small leaves from your bouquet. Fresh flowers give more defined imprints, though dried blooms work beautifully too. Soak your silk item in cool water.
II.
ARRANGE
Lay your scrunchie or ribbon flat. Place petals and leaves directly onto the silk, pressing lightly so they make good contact.
III.
BUNDLE
Carefully fold or roll the silk to keep the petals in place. Wrap in cotton cloth or baking paper, then roll into a compact bundle and tie securely with string.
IV.
STEAM
Add water to your pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place your bundle into the steamer insert, ensuring it sits above the water line. Cover with a lid and steam softly for 60 minutes.
V.
REVEAL
Allow the bundle to cool completely before unwrapping. Remove the spent petals and plant matter to reveal the delicate botanical imprints.
VI.
WASH
Wash gently in cool water, using a small amount of pH neutral detergent. Rinse. Hang or lay flat to dry out of direct sunlight. Once dry, press gently with a warm iron if needed.
