Crafts
To Dye Dried Flowers. (1877, USA)
Some of the most beautiful ornaments for the interior of our dwellings are those of natural production, such as shells, crystals, corals, minerals, etc. What is more beautiful than a bouquet of flowers? There has ever been a desire to retain flowers during the whole winter; but what Nature withholds, Art in many instances partially supplies. The gathering of grasses, mosses, ferns, and certain flowers called gnaphalium, or everlasting flowers, during the Autumn, is a delightful occupation. Then comes the work of setting them up into various ornamental forms. Most of the grasses and several mosses dry of a sombre hue, though they retain their exquisite form. To whiten, or bleach them, make a cone of paper, in which the flowers are to be placed, over a small piece of burning sulphur.
To dye them--
Red.— Carmine dissolved in a solution of carbonate of potash, or carmine dissolved in ammonia: say, carmine, a quarter of an ounce; liquid ammonia, half an ounce: water, a quarter of a pint
Blue.—Indigo, dissolved in sulphuric acid, and neutralized with whitening.
Yellow.—A solution of turmeric in spirit of wine.
Violet.—Archil and the above blue.
Lilac.—Archil, in boiling water.
Green.—Dye first light blue by diluting the above by one half with water, and then use the yellow.
All these grasses, etc., are dyed by dipping them into solutions of the above mixtures. The colors may be brightened if the plants be first dipped in water containing cream of tartar, and dried.
Some of the most beautiful ornaments for the interior of our dwellings are those of natural production, such as shells, crystals, corals, minerals, etc. What is more beautiful than a bouquet of flowers? There has ever been a desire to retain flowers during the whole winter; but what Nature withholds, Art in many instances partially supplies. The gathering of grasses, mosses, ferns, and certain flowers called gnaphalium, or everlasting flowers, during the Autumn, is a delightful occupation. Then comes the work of setting them up into various ornamental forms. Most of the grasses and several mosses dry of a sombre hue, though they retain their exquisite form. To whiten, or bleach them, make a cone of paper, in which the flowers are to be placed, over a small piece of burning sulphur.
To dye them--
Red.— Carmine dissolved in a solution of carbonate of potash, or carmine dissolved in ammonia: say, carmine, a quarter of an ounce; liquid ammonia, half an ounce: water, a quarter of a pint
Blue.—Indigo, dissolved in sulphuric acid, and neutralized with whitening.
Yellow.—A solution of turmeric in spirit of wine.
Violet.—Archil and the above blue.
Lilac.—Archil, in boiling water.
Green.—Dye first light blue by diluting the above by one half with water, and then use the yellow.
All these grasses, etc., are dyed by dipping them into solutions of the above mixtures. The colors may be brightened if the plants be first dipped in water containing cream of tartar, and dried.