Eco-printing with Summer Plants: A Natural Dye Workshop with Berbo Studio

Learn to create colorful, unique prints on fabric with local plants in this workshop led by artist and naturalist Erin Berkowitz of Berbo Studio. We’ll begin with a walk through the grounds at Theodore Payne, identifying native and non-native dye plants utilized in class. On our walk, you'll learn to identify signifiers of plants' latent natural color, and we'll discuss (and practice) responsible wild-crafting, including how and when to harvest the color potent plants growing around us.

With the provided materials and dye plants, we'll get creative using an eco-printing technique—impressing the shapes of leaves and flowers into fabric and steaming to draw out their color—resulting in lasting botanical prints on fabric. You’ll leave with your own uniquely eco-printed pair of cotton socks created in class, and with the knowledge and techniques to identify dye plants and repeat the process on your own at home.
This workshop is suitable for all skill levels, recommended for ages 12+.

Erin Berkowitz is a natural dyer, writer, educator, and certified California Naturalist. She is the owner of Berbo Studio, a small business based in Altadena, CA encompassing a line of handmade naturally dyed goods alongside Erin’s teachings and workshops about local ecology and plant dyes.

As a teacher and guide, Erin leads plant walks, hands-on natural dye workshops, and other outdoor creative events for students of all ages. These gatherings are intended to encourage and deepen connections with our local environment, emphasizing creativity and stewardship, especially of native plants and the web of ecological relationships they support.

Additional Info: All materials are included. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking and getting creative (and maybe a tiny bit messy) with colorful plant dyes.

Host or Publisher Theodore Payne Foundation