3 hemp flags painted with (left to right) green leaves, blue waves and a yellow sun surrounded by 4 Natural Earth Paint packets

DIY Natural Fabric Paint with Earth Pigments

For a waterproof fabric paint that is completely natural and non-toxic, we have two recipe options. 

 

Option 1: Natural Acrylic Paint: By mixing Natural Acrylic Medium, with our Earth & Mineral Pigments you make a beautiful, non-toxic, permanent, and waterproof fabric paint! See video tutorial below or blog tutorial here.

Option 2: Traditional Soybean based Fabric Paint: This is an ancient and traditional recipe that has been used for centuries by many cultures.

Note: Earth & Mineral Pigments are not dyes: they do not dissolve in solution, nor do they form molecular bonds with cloth fibres. To work with fabric, the pigment is suspended in a medium (gum tragacanth) and the medium bonds with the soy milk soaked cloth. The protein in soymilk binds the earth pigments to the fibre. Voila! We love science!

Ingredients: 

Materials Needed:

  • Any cotton fabric
  • Jar 
  • Blender 
  • Muslin Fabric / Cheesecloth
  • Bowls & spoon 
  • Paint brushes 
  • Detergent

Part 1: Making Soy Milk

1. Put 1/4 cup of soybeans and water into a jar and let the beans soak overnight.

Bag of soy beans sitting next to a glass jar filled with water and soy beans

2. Strain the soybeans and place them into a blender with three cups of warm water. Blend for a good four minutes.

Magic bullet blender jar filled with water soy beans ready to be mixed

3. Place the muslin fabric over a bowl and strain the blended liquid through the fabric.

Person pouring blended soy beans onto muslin fabric over a bowl to strain the blended liquid through the fabric   Person's hand squeezing the rest of the soy bean mixture through the muslin fabric into a bowl

4. Repeat the blending and straining step one more time using the left over residue in the muslin and two cups of water instead of three. After blending and straining again, throw away the soybean residue.

Blender filled with remaining mixture of soy bean and water sitting next to the blender

5. Thin your liquid with a little water until it looks like the color of skim milk.

white bowl filled with liquid that has been thinned with water until it is the consistency of skim milk

6. Soak your cotton canvas/fabric into the liquid completely. Allow your canvas to air dry completely.

The white bowl filled with the soy bean mixture now has a piece of cotton canvas/fabric submerged into the liquid completely   Fabric pieces are hung to dry completely after being thoroughly saturated in the soy bean mixture

7. Store the remaining liquid in an air-tight jar and refrigerate it.

Part 2: Making the Paint

square container containing soy milk surrounded by packets of Earth & Mineral Pigments, a spoon and a jar of gum tragacanth

1. Combine 1 teaspoon of natural earth pigment with 1 Tbsp. soy milk (you can add more soy milk if needed but only to wet the pigment). Important: make sure they are REALLY mixed well.

Paper bowl showing a scoop of green Earth & Mineral Pigments being added to a small portion of soy milk

2. To thicken add a small amount of gum tragacanth. Start with 1/2 tsp. and increase until desired thickness. If it gets too thick just add a little more soy milk to desired consistency. Every pigment behaves differently so there's no set amounts.

Paper bowl with mixture showing a person adding more soy milk with a measuring spoon   Mixture of soy milk, gum tragacanth, and green Earth & Mineral Pigment being mixed together to create a paint

3. Store your paint in an air-tight container and place it in the fridge until you're ready to use.

Part 3: Painting

1. Gather your pre-treated fabric and your paint and brushes.

3 pre-treated pieces of fabric sitting on a table next to 3 glass jars of paint (green, blue, yellow) next to a glass jar of water, 2 paint brushes and some paper towels

2. Paint your own designs and inspirations on the fabrics.

person's hand holding a paint brush painting green leaves onto one of the fabric pieces

3. When you're done, let your masterpiece air-dry for up to two days minimum.

4. Optional: If you want to leave a certain part of the design unpainted, you can use a "resist" like Nori paste or even Elmer’s washable school glue (blue is best so you can see where you applied it), to create a resist to wash out later.

Part 4: Washing Out & Displaying

1. After a few days, take your painted fabrics and hand wash them in water with detergent. Be gentle. Let your fabric air dry on again.

Person submerging the green leave painted piece of fabric into a bowl filled with soapy water   Person's hand continuing to gently wash the piece of fabric painted with green leave in the bowl of soapy water

In the end, you'll have beautifully done, hand-painted, permanent fabric, yours truly.

3 hemp flags painted with (left to right) green leaves, blue waves and a yellow sun surrounded by 4 Natural Earth Paint packets

Interested in more crafts featuring Natural Earth Paint products? Visit our Nature Crafts DIY page!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for more natural inspiration.

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