Wool Mittens Eco Printed with Leaves

Nature offers us such amazing gifts! Leaves can be used to print onto natural fibres like wool blankets; Eco Printing. Even onion skins can print onto wool.

The process involves heat and rolling into a bundle so that there is good contact of leaves to fabric.

These vintage wool blankets take the prints well. To accent the prints some Free-Motion-Embroidery is fun with a sewing machine.

Up-cycling some leather from jackets/clothes makes great mittens. I love the design of this mitten pattern. It has 4 sizes and simple sewing. They have a lining.

The details that the leaves can give is like magic. You never quite know what the print will be like. The easy cuff can be made with some sweater up-cycling. 

The prints are from the natural tannins in the leaves reacting with a metal (iron) mordant to create a permanent print. It all started with 'India Flint' and a leaf print on an egg...

Add some embellishment or Button to hold the cuff in place

The variations of colour is endless... Maple leaves, rose leaves, smoke bush leaves, sumac,  eucalyptus, and many more...

Dare to be unique and reflect from nature! Once you discover Eco printing you will be obsessed with it... 

Make a pair of wonderful mittens for someone you love... Upcycle some fabrics to help the environment - all win-win. Many, many more tutorials on my site: