As optimists to the core, we are always trying to find the bright spots and silver linings in every situation—no matter how tough. We recently asked our customers what their bright spots were during this global pandemic, and here's a common thread we kept hearing: Having more time to slow down. Slowing down comes in many forms, but a lot of you mentioned having extra time for projects, hobbies, family, and making more sustainable choices. So we thought this would be a great time to talk about one of our favorite slow-down, sustainable activities: How to make natural dyes from food scraps (aka tie dye your clothes in the most eco-friendly way). Using natural dyes to spruce up old clothes is a double win for sustainability: It's an awesome way to breathe new life into old threads to save them from the landfills—and using food scraps to make the dye is an awesome (and fun) way to make use of your waste in the kitchen. You can use all types of food scraps like avocado pits, walnut shells, and beet tops, but for these instructions, we're going with two of our favorite natural dye ingredients: onion skins and used coffee grounds. And a big thanks and shout out to our friend Emma for sharing this step by step guide with us—she's a textile artist launching her own upcycled clothing line, so yeah, she's an expert (more on her below). What you'll need

• Cotton T-Shirt (organic cotton or bust)
• Yellow onion skins and/or coffee grounds (two of the best natural dyes)
• Rubber bands
• A non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enamel work well)
• Iron mordant (optional) **

What is a mordant? When dyeing clothes naturally, a mordant is needed to fix your dye to your fabric—otherwise the colors will quickly wash out and fade. Iron (ferrous sulfate) is a a commonly used mordant that "fixes" and "saddens" your colors. It's one of my favorites and can turn golds to olives and browns right before your eyes! If you're wondering about natural dyes that don't need mordant, onions are a great choice. Some plants (like onions) are very high in tannins (a naturally occurring mordant), and do not need additional mordanting with iron or other metallic salts. For this project, you'll only need a mordant (and some extra lead time) if you choose to dye your clothes with coffee grounds. To make a mordant at home:

1. Put a handful of rusty nails in a jar.
2. Fill jar with 2 parts water + 1 part white vinegar.
3. Cover and set aside until the solution turns orangey (1-2 weeks).

To dye your clothes:

1.Throw your tees in the wash with a pH neutral detergent (most "sensitive skin" detergents fit the bill). When they're nice and clean, soak them in a pot of water for at least an hour, but ideally overnight.
2. Meanwhile, put your dye supplies (coffee grounds or onion skins) in a non-reactive pot, adding just enough water to cover your shirts. Bring the water to a boil and simmer (for at least an hour, but overnight if you can). For this project, I used about 10 onions worth of skin for one shirt and a half gallon bag of used coffee grounds for a second shirt (1 shirt per dye pot). It's possible to continue dyeing with the dye pots until the color is "exhausted" (aka producing really, really light colors). You can also adjust the amount of natural ingredients to get your colors darker or lighter.
3. After your shirts have soaked, you can bind them into tie dye patterns.

For a bullseye pattern, pinch the center of the shirt and wrap rubber bands at regular intervals all the way down. For a spiral pattern, pinch the center of your shirt and twist. Once it's fully twisted, rubber band it in "slices."

4. Strain the dye materials out of your pot, drop in your shirts, and simmer for an hour. Let cool and rinse.
5. If you're using an iron mordant, now's the time. Simmer 1 cup of your iron solution with water for 30 minutes (make sure you use enough water so that your shirts will be fully covered once you submerge them). Remove the solution from heat and dip or submerge your shirts - iron works quickly so this may only take a few minutes. Rinse out.

6. Hang to dry in a shady spot, then wash your shirts with a pH neutral detergent again.
7. Get excited to wear your new naturally dyed tees!

**A few safety notes: As a general rule, it's best not to use any pots or utensils for food after they've been used for dyeing. If using an iron mordant, keep solution out of reach of children and pets; avoid breathing steam from an iron bath and simmer in a well-ventilated area. Iron mordant can be safely disposed of down the drain in municipal areas. Once you've gotten this technique down, it's easy to learn how to make natural dyes from plants and other food scraps—and the world is your oyster when it comes to things to dye. Think pillowcases, dish towels, cloth for wrapping gifts (a favorite sustainable trick—get instructions here). When sustainability meets creativity, everyone wins. Emma Fern is a textile artist living in Burlington, Vermont. Inspired by the stories and traditions of her Appalachian ancestors, she calls upon the sustainability of age-old techniques like natural dyeing to create contemporary textiles. She's launching her upcycled clothing line, CNTR, this summer. Follow along on Instagram @cntrcntr.