Here’s my quick and easy recipe for a Fall Inspired DIY Botanical Print Ribbons!

{Note / For our in-house dyeing there are additional steps involved in the cleaning and preparation of dyeing our ribbons, but this is my “short-cut” for beautifully dyed ribbons suitable for crafting and gift wrapping}

Take your ribbon and submerge it in warm tap water to cover the ribbons. Soak for 30-40 minutes to open the fibers and allow for the best absorption of the natural dyes. Set aside and prepare your base color.
Prepare your base color. You can choose from a variety of tannin-rich food items that will create an overall base hue and allow for optimal colorfastness. Here I used turmeric for a yellow base hue. [you can use coffee grounds (tans), black tea (tans), or avocado pits (pink and corals), to name a few of the options.]
Add about 4 tablespoons of turmeric to a stainless steel pot and fill it ½ full with water. Bring the turmeric to a boil and then let simmer for about 40 mins, then let the mixture cool to the touch.
Wring out your wet silk ribbons and add them to your turmeric pot. You will see the ribbons soak up the color. Simmer for 30 minutes. After the ribbons have been in the pot for at least 30 minutes, review the color; if you love it, let the pot cool and remove the ribbons and rinse them in the sink; if you’d prefer it darker, continue to cook or rest in the pot overnight.
Once your ribbons have completed their base hue and are rinsed, gather your onion skins and a dowel (or twig). Lay out the ribbon and open up the folds so that it lays flat. Begin to roll your silk onto the dowel, adding onion skins as you go. Tightly roll the ribbons with the onion skins, creating a bit of tension so that it is tightly rolled.
Once the ribbon is wound on the dowel, tie it with a string or extra ribbon to hold it closed, then add it to a steamer basket in a stainless steel pot with a few inches of water below. Cover and steam for about 30-50 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it cool. Unroll the ribbons and compost the onion skins. Then, wash your ribbon in the sink with pH-neutral soap (I use Seventh Generation).

Hang to dry, and then iron on medium heat.

TIP / After step #7, you can repeat step #5 to create layers of botanical prints. This method was used in the photos to create overlapping layers of botanical prints.