Will Flower Petals Absorb Dye?
- White flowers work best for dyeing; try white carnations or Queen Anne's lace. Mix water-soluble food coloring (dark red and blue work well) into a glass of water and stick the cut flowers into the glass. The colors should begin to change within a few hours; wait 12 hours for full effects.
- Try splitting the stem and sticking each part into a different color of dye. The flower petals will absorb the different colors distinctly and separately.
- The water moves through the flower's stem through hollow cells called xylem. They form tubes like drinking straws going up the stem into the petals. The dye shows the lines of the xylem as it goes through the flower's stem and petals.