About Rebecca

Hey! Thanks for visiting my corner of the internet!

I'm Rebecca Desnos – a UK-based plant dyer.

I'm sure you've heard of my best selling dye book Botanical Colour at your Fingertips, or maybe you've read it?!

I'm a botanical dyer, writer, a mother to three young children, and an all-round plant lover.

I admit that I'm responsible for getting thousands of people hooked on avocado dye, and many other dye plants!

I started self publishing natural dye books and magazines in 2016 and this is still one of my biggest passions.

 

Dyeing with plants

Over a decade ago, I was inspired to delve into natural dyes because I wanted to make healthy, non toxic dyes. This was the beginning of a long investigation into making colour from plants. The more I experiment, the more I want to delve deeper to learn more.

In 2016, I wrote my first book, Botanical Colour at your Fingertips, which is a gentle introduction into plant dyeing.
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My book will show you how to extract dye from everyday plants you have around you, such as culinary herbs (like rosemary, mint, thyme), food waste (such as avocado skins, pomegranate and onion skins) and wild plants that you can forage.‎ Basically I'm passionate about making dyes from the plants that are right at my fingertips, and I can show you how in my book!

Our relationship with nature

One of my biggest passions in life is to share my love of plants with others and inspire a deeper connection with the natural world. I find that natural dyeing has the power to turn a so-so day into a vibrant day, and one of my missions is to share this far and wide so you can receive the benefits too!

Natural dyeing is a slow and gentle craft. It’s a practice that I’ve continued for many years and carried on through difficult times in my life. We can receive many emotional and even physical benefits from this practice. It’s a craft that encourages us to get outdoors, learn about the world around us and even begin gardening.

You will begin to notice new plants that you've never stopped to look at before, as you continually wonder what colour they could make in your dye pot. It's an endless journey of discovery, where we can slow down and appreciate the little things in our lives. 

 

My publications

  • In 2016 I wrote an eBook called Botanical Colour at your Fingertips in which I share my simple methods for plant dyeing. Due to popular demand, I self published the book and released it in paperback. Designing the book is part of my design process: I love presenting ideas visually and taking you on a journey through the pages.
  • I released 4 volumes of Plants Are Magic magazines between 2017-2019, and made the decision to retire the magazine in 2020.
  • In 2018, Botanical Dyes on Wood was released as an eBook and the paperback was released in 2021.
  • In 2020, I released a new book called Plant Dye Zine, which is a collection of natural dye tutorials written by me and 7 other nature creatives from around the world.
  • In November 2021, I released the first volume of Plant Forage Make, and released the second edition in May 2022.

I continue to explore botanical dyeing and share my experiments on my Instagram page, and write new tutorials on my blog.