Upcoming Workshops
For tickets please go to: Marigold Experiences
Join Half Mad Honey for an afternoon of creativity, learning, and the fascinating intersection of nature and art! Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Botanical Solar dyeing and the therapeutic healing practices of bees.
In this engaging, hands-on workshop, you'll explore how flowers, leaves, and plants can transform silk into luminous color using the gentle energy of the sun.
The workshop includes a honey beehive tour where you get to put on a suit and meet the bees, and ends with a sweet honey tasting.
What to Expect: Learn the art of solar dyeing using fresh botanicals beloved by bees. You'll design and create your own botanical silk eye mask, capturing the delicate imprints of flowers and leaves while exploring their calming and restorative qualities.
Bee Insights: Learn about the role bees play in the dyeing process and how to plant a bee-friendly natural dye garden.
Experience: No prior dyeing experience is necessary- just a curiosity and enthusiasm for discovering the natural world's vibrant hues! Materials Provided: All materials, including natural dyes, silk eye mask, and tools will be provided.
Let’s Hike and dye!🌿 Come join us on a walk through Wissahickon to a picnic spot where we can sit and create. Get to know some really cool spring blooms and people :) Bring a natural fabric piece or a garment you would like to dye. I’ll have a solar dyes and fabric to share. Make sure to bring any food, water, something to sit on or anything you might need. We will meet at the Bells Mill Road West Trailhead at 10:15 AM. The exact address is 9598 Forbidden Drive, Philadelphia PA. See picture of the trailhead and map point location attached. Easier to park in the East Parking lot and walk down among the trees to the marker.
If you need a ride, let me know, I have a few spots available.
Pay what you can to cover the cost of dyes. Recommended $10
Sunday April 19th 1-3 PM
Are you a creator, artist, teacher, earth lover, small business owner? Let’s get together and connect for an afternoon over treats and solar dyeing.
I’m feeling and hearing so many local small creative business owners struggling and rather than telepathically sell you my 56 page resource guide to successful small business…just joking… I don’t have a resource guide but I do believe that when we connect together we are stronger and can learn things from each other. 🙂 This crazy fire is difficult to navigate on our own so let’s not!
Do you have to own a small business to partake? absolutely no, it’s open for anyone!
Bring a garment that’s ready for new life, plant cuttings you love, a favorite tea and/or a small nosh to share 🤍 I’ll have a rainbow of solar dyes, seasonal botanicals, and all the supplies needed to transform a stained or old piece into something new.
This gathering is very much home-based: I share space with a friendly older dog and young cat, and we’ll gather on one main floor and my porch (a few steps). If you have allergies, sensitivities, or need any accommodations, please reach out, I want you to feel comfortable here.
📍Fishtown, Philadelphia (Address shared directly)
Pay what you can - recommend $22. If you would prefer to use venmo , direct message me on IG or dyeonetheside@gmail.com
Any support helps to cover the cost of dyes and proceeds will support my efforts to bring free dye programs to local kids through Avenues of Change. If you would like to attend but don’t have the funds to do so, I’m happy to welcome you.
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026 6:30 - 8:00 pm
To sign up you will need to click this link to SHIFT’s Register Online
Location: SHIFT · 250 Haverford Avenue · Narberth Pennsylvania 19072
Create a custom dyed textile using sunlight and plant-based solar dyeing techniques—perfect for a handmade Mother’s Day gift or shared experience.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will dye a fabric item using light and botanicals, learning a simple process that can be repeated at home. This class is open to kids, adults, and families and is especially well suited for a parent/child activity or creating a thoughtful, handmade Mother’s Day gift.
Students will need to bring:
One fabric item, no larger than 20 × 20 inches
Fabric made primarily from natural fibers (cotton, linen, silk, hemp, or bamboo/rayon absorb color best).
EXAMPLES: Cotton or linen handkerchiefs, dish towels or tea towels (single or matching set), cotton or linen napkins, socks (at least 50% natural fiber), a lightweight cotton or linen shirt panel, pocket, or section
Leaves, flowers, botanicals or other interesting shapes (optional)
A container to transport your damp, freshly dyed fabric home
Ticket price includes:
Instruction and guidance on solar dye techniques
Dye for one fabric item
Use of UV lights for nighttime curing
Registration
Reserve your space click this link to SHIFT’s Register Online. Because of the hands-on nature of this event, space is limited. Ages 7+ are welcome to attend.
NOTE: A minimum of 6 students is needed to run this class.
Immersive Natural Dye Experiences
From boardrooms to backyards Dye on the Side experiences meet you where you are.
I bring a botanical dye experience right to your event space with a beautifully curated display and service. Perfect for events, birthday celebrations, classes or team creatives.
I arrive with everything needed to transform your space, seasonal botanicals, textiles, natural pigments, and a touch of creative alchemy. Together, we’ll pause, explore, and discover the joy of making something by hand with each other.
“Thank you for bringing that kind of energy into the office! The table was beautiful and the whole experience was more than I could have imagined.”
Jaime - Shaw Contract
At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to creating with integrity for people, for place, and for the planet.
For over 25 years I’ve worked at the intersection of textiles, natural dyes, and creative education, developing print & color techniques for the fashion industry and leading hands-on workshops that reconnect people with creativity.
Today I design immersive botanical dye experiences for teams, events, and communities.
I believe creativity is for everyone. My workshops are designed to support all abilities, offering an inclusive space to slow down, connect with nature, and create in a way that feels good for you.
Women owned
Rooted in sustainable natural dyeing
Hi I’m Carin!
Featured Digital Guides
Discover the unexpected magic hidden in your kitchen scraps. Avocado Alchemy is a transformative digital dyeing guide that reveals how the humble avocado pit can unlock an extraordinary palette of blush pinks and rose tones with no synthetic chemicals needed.
This immersive guide includes:
An hour-long video tutorial breaking down the wild chemistry behind avocado dyeing
A beautifully designed 22-page digital workbook with step-by-step instructions, tips, and troubleshooting
Lifetime access, including all future updates
Rooted in mindfulness and creative restoration, this guide is more than a craft. Created during a time when I needed grounding most, this practice became my way to reconnect with nature, beauty, and my inner calm. Now, I’m sharing it with you.
In a world that often feels overwhelming, natural dyeing offers something rare: a chance to slow down, take control, and turn waste into wonder. Whether you're a seasoned artist or simply dye-curious, this is your invitation to find color, calm, and creativity, one avocado pit at a time.
Turn your well-loved clothing into one-of-a-kind botanical keepsakes
There’s something magical that happens when sunlight, plants, and fabric come together… and I created this guide to help you capture that magic for yourself.
A bouquet from a special day, flowers picked on a slow afternoon, leaves gathered with your child, this dye process allows you to preserve those moments in cloth, creating pieces you can hold onto and wear.
What makes solar dyeing so special is how simple and immediate it is, colors begin to appear in the sun in a surprisingly short amount of time, making it a beautiful, accessible process for all ages and abilities. It invites you to slow down, connect with the plants around you, and create without pressure.
This 38-page digital workbook walks you step-by-step through my signature solar dyeing process, the same techniques I’ve used to create luminous nature-infused prints.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
🌿 Create crisp, vibrant botanical prints using the power of the sun and dye
🌿 Transform old or meaningful pieces into personal keepsakes
🌿 Preserve flowers and plants from moments you want to remember
🌿 Use my Botanical Color Library to see how colors develop through different exposure times and how they shift after washing so you can better predict your results
🌿 Achieve long-lasting color with simple, approachable methods
🌿 Recreate my Hand Print and Ombré Pant designs step-by-step
🌿 Understand the why behind the magic with an easy, inspiring look at the science
Whether you're brand new or deep in your creative journey, this is your invitation to slow down, reconnect, and create something truly your own.
This is a way to hold onto a moment, a ritual, and a gentle return to creativity.
Instant download: You’ll receive a link via email right after purchase so you can begin creating right away.
Learn how to imprint leaf and flower designs into eggs with natural dyes made from kitchen scraps. I’ll guide you step-by-step through the colorful art and fun science process of natural egg dyeing with plants! Along the way, I share my favorite tips and techniques for achieving detailed vibrant results.
My instructions are centered around making this technique accessible for all, including children. Perfect seasonal activity to connect with the plants around you and dye eggs with vibrant natural colors.
Includes access to a digital workbook and instruction video.