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Adult Opportunities

Natural Dyes: Kitchen Scraps

Discover how to turn food waste into natural dyes.

Content Detail

In this three-hour workshop we will explore the natural dye palette made from kitchen waste or compost. We will use coffee grounds, onion skins, and tea bags to make dye baths and use an iron bath to further modify the color. Simple shibori techniques will also be introduced.

All experiments will be made on silk.

This program is open to all experience levels.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructor: Rachel Davis, artist

Age: 16 and older

Course number: A051

Instructor

Rachel Davis, artist

Rachel Davis received her BA from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and her MFA in printmaking from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work has been exhibited in national venues including the Holter Museum of Fine Art in Helena, Montana; Evergreen Galleries in Olympia, Washington; and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters in Madison, Wisconsin. She completed a year-long artist-in-residence at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago in 2018 and an artist-in-residence at the DuPage Children’s Museum in 2019. Currently, she teaches natural dye techniques in the textiles department at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago.

What to Know

Dyeing supplies are included.

Please bring a pair of long kitchen gloves.

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, or bring an apron.

This program is open to all experience levels.

Program Schedule

Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side

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