3 Ways to Have Fun with Herbal Dye @ Bulk Herb Store Blog!

Do you love color, flowers, and all things natural, but you’re not sure where you can get a good natural dye? Well we have the answer you’ve been looking for.

You can go outside and pick your own! (Or easily get some – dried & ready for you – from Bulk Herb Store.)

That’s right, you can use ordinary plants and flowers to bring a variety of color and fun to your DIY dying project. First, let’s talk herbs and preparation. Then we’ll get to three ways you can have fun with herbal dye!

1. Flower Pounding
2. Dying Fun things with Herbal Dye
3. Herbal Tie Dye

Finish reading 3 Ways to Have Fun with Herbal Dye over @ Bulk Herb Store Blog!

Photo by Bulk Herb Store

Photo by Bulk Herb Store

Photo by Bulk Herb Store

Photo by Bulk Herb Store

 Looking for more on dying?

There's a detailed article by Helen at Growing Color on Mordanting, if you're interested in learning more complex mordanting methods. Or read Kitchen Dying at Tartan's Authority for information on using alum and iron mordants. But today on 3 Ways to Have Fun with Herbal Dye we're looking at using salt or vinegar.

Herbs to use?  

Affiliate links

Beetroot, Hawthorn, Elderberry, Bilberry, Calendula, Chamomile, Bentonite clay, Dandelion root, Hibiscus flower, Tansy, Black Tea, Turmeric, black Walnut hull powder, Yellow Dock root

Other natural things can make great dyes too! Avocado skins can make dusty rose, red cabbage for a purple, onion skins make a nice yellow, and the list goes on!

Hope you get out there and discover more ways to have fun with Herbal Dye as you "learn and live well"!

This post is shared on: Natural Living Monday, Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Entwife's Journal, Wellness Wednesday Link-up @ Richly Rooted, Capture Your Journey @ Joy Dare, Barnyard Blog Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Homemaking Link-up Wednesdays @ Raising Homemakers, Fabulously Frugal Thursday Linky Party @ A Life in Balance, Simple Lives Thursday @ Homespun Oasis, Front Porch Friday @ Preparedness Mama

What about a Berkey?

What's a Berkey?  Good question!  

A Berkey is a type of water purifier. It goes beyond filteration, and actually purifies your water. Berkey water filters take out the nasties, and leave behind the good minerals!

 Why would you need to have a Berkey?

"Your basic drinking water oftentimes contains chlorine, lead, harmful bacteria, and even mercury. Sometimes we can detect these harmful elements by taste, but most of the time they are tasteless and we have no idea what we are consuming."  -Hannah Stoll BHS

Now let me tell you about when I use my Berkey water filters....

  I travel a lot. I'm often to be found in a foreign country, I'll hop across the continent every-now-and-then, usually take a couple hour drive almost weekly... And almost without exception, I take my Berkey Sport bottle (with it's built-in filter) with me everywhere I go.  It's my first choice for a water bottle, and the only filter I trust on-the-go.
 I'll sometimes take along an extra metal bottle too, which I like to fill from a Big Berkey or Royal Berkey if I'm at my friend's house...still haven't been able to get my own-can't wait! I love the taste of water when the good minerals haven't been filtered out - reminds me of the mountain well water back home - and that kind of water doesn't pick up a metallic taste from my metal bottle!

Photo by Bulk Herb Store

Where can I get a Berkey today?

Aren't you ready to get a great water purifier? (Maybe you're even in a water bottle shopping mood, or ir you're feeling the need to carry along something you can fill up on your summer adventures!) I highly recommend the Berkey Sport water bottle from Bulk Herb Store! If you want good clean water for your home, counter-top Berkeys are GREAT! 

• Health & Satety Travel Tips: Importance of Clean Water
• (Bulk Herb Store) Berkey link and info (and 10% off coupon for June 6th!)
• My Bulk Herb Store Affiliate Link

Would you consider buying a Berkey? Already have one? tell us why you love your Berkey!

What to put in your Herbal Medicine Cupboard: Beyond the Medicine Chest

 Remember when I wrote about my herbal medicine chest? I ended then with the mention of the herbal remedies that don’t fit in the little chest, but instead need to go in an herbal medicine cupboard. Since then I’ve moved four times taking my Herbal Medicine Cupboard collection -or parts of it- all over the place. My first medicine cupboard was the funnest place! A closet full of all the sacks of herbs, jars of preparations, jugs of essentials - definitely much too much to keep in one box!

I’ve added to it, re-stocked it, made some changes, and finally typed it up in a list for you – along with some additional things that what I now keep in the original  herbal medicine chest. I’ll share with you now the things that most fit into the medicine cupboard category. (Not all the teas and cooking spices.) ...

Go see my latest post @ Nourishing Simplicity for the rest of the story... 

A Gypsy’s Herbal Medicine Cupboard

 

Find all this and more on the pinboard: Natural First Aid & Herbal Medicine

This post is part of the following link-ups and blog hops: Capture Your Journey @ Joy Dare, Homemaking Link-up @ Raising Homemakers, Thank Goodness it's Monday @ Nourishing Joy, Wellness Wednesday @ Richly Rooted, Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Entwife's Jounral, The Art of Home-Making Monday @ Strangers & Pilgrims, Simple Lives Thursdays @ Homespun Oasis, Fabulously Frugal Thursday @ A Life in Balance, Front Porch Friday @ Preparedness Mama, Natural Family Friday @ Natural Family Today, Simple Life Sunday @ Trayer Wilderness, So Much at Home...

100+ Cold Drinks You Can Make for Hot Days! @ Bulk Herb Store Blog

There's a great big round up of cold drinks that I've gathered over at Bulk Herb Store Blog!

100+ Cold Drinks You Can Make on Hot Days

Getting hot out, isn't it? That's ok! Now's the time of year we can make cold, iced drinks - and really enjoy them! Here are over 100 links for recipes to get you started! Oh, and a few links on why some of them are great ideas....

In case you are coming here from the round-up there at Bulk Herb Store Blog, here are just a few more links you might like to take a look at:

• Death by Water (plus 6 drink recipes) @ Herbal Trading Post
• Four Reasons to Buy Organic Tea @ Natural Living Mamma
• How to DIY~ Spill-Proof Mason Jar Lid with Straw Holder @ the Homesteading Hippy

More Cold Drink Recipes: 

• Cocoa Dandelion & Banana Smoothie and
• Vitamin Smoothie here @ A Gypsy Herbal
• If you're one of my Spanish speaking friends, you might really enjoy this: Agua de sandía, jengibre y limón @ al sabor del chef
• Homemade Lemon Electrolyte Drink @ Nourishing Simplicity
• Turmeric Juice  @Mind Body Green
• "Golden" (turmeric) Milk @ Daily Bytes
• The following @ Whole Food: Cucumber Cantaloupe Green Smoothie, Blueberry Herb Limeade Punch, Melon Seed Agua Fresca, Vegan Mango Lassi.
• Shirley Temple Recipe @ This Little Piglet
• Watermelon Lime Cooler @ Frugal Granola
• Thai Iced Tea @ Feisty Foodies
• Paleo Peach Coconut Smoothie @ Cook Eat Paleo
• Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie @ Live Simply
• Coconut Egg Nog @ Wellness Mama
• The Wonders of Kombucha @ Nourishing Simplicity

I'm personally excited to try the infused waters and cold teas! To find these, plus the 100+ links, and more, all in one place - check out my Pin Board: Drink Glass 100+ Cold Drink you Can Make on Hot Days, as I add them in over the coming week.
  

  100+ Cold Drinks You Can Make on Hot Days

 

What will you try??

 

This post is shared on the following link-ups and blog-hops: Natural Living Monday @ Modern Alternative Mamma, Mama Moments @ A Mama's Story, The Art of Homemaking Mondays @ Strangers and Pilgrims, Capture Your Joy @ Joy Dare, Homemaking Link-up @ Raising Homemakers, Wellness Wednesday @ Richly Rooted, the So Much At Home Link-Up, The Home Acre Hop @ The Self-Sufficient HomeAcre, Fabulously Frugal Thursday Linky Party @ A Life In Balance, The Pennywise Platter @ Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ Homespun Oasis, Simple Meals Friday @ Nourishing Simplicity, Wise Woman Builds Her Home link up, Natural Family Friday @ Natural Family Today, Real Food Fridays @ Organic 4 Green Living, Front Porch Fridays @Preparedness Mama & Mama Kautz, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Simple Life Sunday @Cooks Frontier, Monday's Musings @ What Joy Is Mine, Hearth & Soul @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen & The 21 Century Housewife, Anything Goes @ Stitch By Stitch, Dare to Share @ Pam's Party & Practical Tips, Homemaking Party @ Live in Every Season,

How to Start Using and Saving Fresh Plantain Today: an Anti-Itch Oil

Do you want to save some of the amazing herb plantain that grows like a weed practically everywhere? Here's a simple way to get started using plantain today! You can make this plantain anti-itch oil at home and save it for later, or use it immediately.

For this recipe, you will need to following:

• Olive oil (got mine from local farmer Wynola Flats)
• Grapeseed oil
• freshly picked Plantain*
• jar with lid that makes a tight seal

1. -First, you want to make sure your herbs are clean and ready to use. Rinse in a sink, bowel or tub, then gently pat dry to remove all water.
2. -Next, rip, chop or shred your leaves
3. -Then cover leaves entirely with your oil. You can use half and half, or 2/3 olive to 1/3 grapeseed oil.
4. -Finally, you need to heat this gently; pick one of the following ways:

  To use it today, place herbs and oil in souce pan or small pot. Keep the heat low and keep an eye on the whole thing to make sure it doesn't burn or boil. (You don't want to scorch the life right out of the concoction!) Heat till the color cooks into the oil, leaving the leaves dull, about 1 hour. Use your judgement on this. Then let it sit till it's cool and strain out the herb.
  To use it later, stuff your chopped leaves in your jar till it's almost full. Leave a couple inches of space at the top, but make sure to completely submerge all plant material. Place in a paper sack in a sunny window, or go with Bulk Herb Store's crock-pot method  following steps 1-6.)

Store your plantain anti-itch oil in your jar in the fridge and use as needed for itches! 

*If you can't find a safe clean place to harvest plantain from the wild (and don't have it growing in your garden yet), then you can purchase dried organic plantain from Bulk Herb Store. Also, if you're going that rout anyway, you could get some lobelia and turmeric to add in for more anti-inflammatory properties. If you use dried herbs, follow the proportions as mentioned in the crock-pot method link.

I love my plantain anti-itch oil and store it in a sweet little bottle that my olive oil came in from a local farmer. Do you grow plantain in your garden? Forage for it? Or do you buy/trade for it?

Shared on Front Porch Friday #15 Blog Hop @ Preparedness Mama.