In our March issue, we met artist Caroline Ross who makes pigments and paints from natural materials, largely earth. We were inspired to give other natural materials a go. Here are a few ways of making natural paints and dyes from things growing nearby or sitting around your kitchen.

1. Onion skin - makes beautiful pinks and yellow colours. Boil in water, strain, cool and use as a fabric dye.

2. Beetroot - for a lovely deep pink, boil beetroot for a couple of hours then blend and strain through a muslin to make paint.

3. Blueberries - make a blue or purple paint when you mash, strain, mash again and then add a little flour to the juice to thicken.

4. Spinach - create a green paint by steeping the leaves in water.

5. Paprika - mixed with water makes an easy orange paint.

6. Wood ash - mix with a little water to make grey.

Turn to page 46 of the March issue to meet artist Caroline Ross and find out about the earth pigments she uses in her painting.

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