Blueberry playdough, dye recipe.
We haven't had a great deal of experience with blueberries when it comes
to activities other than food and drinks so this experiment has been great
for discovering how the berry's pigment transitions from a burgundy-red to
a violet-blue when dyed fabric is rinsed through cold water and as playdough
cools down after cooking. The playdough saw less of a transformation but we
found the colour continued to develop as the dough was being handled.
This activity photo is a busy one involving blue compressed mica powder being brushed over the surface of the dough and then
worked in to produce changes in colour, construction with interlocking shapes and the staple favourites, rolling
pins and cutters!
|
Blueberry dye recipe
- 70g blueberries
- 200ml water
Simmer the berries in water for 10 minutes keeping
a watch on the level of the liquid. The blueberries will eventually break
down and their pigment fill the pan. At this point remove from the heat and
leave to cool. Blend the mixture and strain through a sieve or muslin cloth.
Playdough recipe
- 150g plain flour
- 120g salt
- 120ml elderberry liquid
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tbsp cream of tartar
- a few drops of scented oil (optional)
- Hand moisturiser (optional)
Place all the ingredients except the lotion intoa
saucepan and cook over a medium heat until everything comes together to form
a ball.
|
Leave to cool and then knead. Add a few spoonfuls
of hand cream and work into the playdough until soft and smooth.
To dye a swatch of Jersey cotton, we dissolved 1 tablespoon ofsalt
in hot water and then poured some of the dye into the container & stirred.
The dry square of fabric was placed into the solution and left to soak for
about 30 minutes before removing and rinsing under a cold tap.
This was a first and the result was really pleasing! The small
squares of fabric dried naturally and were then ironed to use as bakery or
bread cloths in children's role play, wrapping up their playdough wares for
selling!
This blueberry dye recipe is one we'll definitely try again and
has prompted us to look into growing our own plants and maybe experimenting
with some fragrance oils!
Blueberry fabric dyes on google images and how to grow blueberry plants on RHS.org.uk
More information about the blueberry's close relatives - bilberry, whinberry
or whortleberry on wildfooduk.com
Making natural dye recipes from plants
Grass dye
Rosehip dye
Blackberry
Elderberry
Blueberry
|
Spinach
Carrot
Red cabbage
Raspberries
Onion skin dye
|
|
|
|
|
