Immersive Botanical 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 seasonal display and service.
Perfect for events, team creatives, birthday celebrations, and classes.
Upcoming Workshops
Let’s Hike + Dye!
Come spend a slow morning solar dyeing among the trees.
We’ll gather for an easy, accessible walk along Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Park, noticing the plants and seasonal blooms growing around before settling in for a relaxed outdoor solar dye session together. Solar dyeing is similar to cyanotype but instead of just blues a rainbow of colors can be achieved in minutes.
What to Expect
We’ll meet at 10:15 AM and begin walking around 10:25 AM.
The trail is mostly flat, beginner-friendly, and accessible, with a relaxed pace and plenty of time to take in the surroundings.
Schedule
10:15 AM — Meet + Intro
10:25 AM — Begin easy nature walk (about 20–25 minutes)
Gather together for a hands-on solar dye session (about 30–40 minutes)
Walk back afterward- ends around 12:15 PM – at the beginning trailhead
I’ll bring a backpack filled with natural solar dyes, fabric pieces to experiment with, pressed botanicals and examples of the process. You’ll learn how solar dyeing works and have time to create your own naturally dyed piece outdoors in the sunshine.
You’re welcome to:
Bring a small natural fiber fabric piece no bigger than 10in x 10in. natural fibers only- cotton, linen, silk, hemp, rayon)
OR use a fabric piece I’ll have available to share
What to Bring
Water + snacks if needed
A bag to bring home the dyed piece
Anything else you need to feel comfortable outdoors
Meeting Location
Bells Mill Road West Trailhead
9598 Forbidden Drive, Philadelphia, PA
Parking is easiest in the East Parking Lot, then walking down through the trees to the trailhead marker. I’ll include a photo/map point in the post to make it easy to find.
If transportation is a barrier, feel free to message me, I may have a few ride spots available.
Registration
Please register in advance since space is intentionally small.
Max group size: 10 people
Pay what you can
Recommended contribution: $10 to help cover dye materials + supplies
You’re invited to into a moment of creativity and connection.
Each experience is designed to transform your space into a living color apothecary, using botanicals, natural dyes, and seasonal materials to create something both grounding and energizing.
Whether you’re gathering a team or celebrating a milestone, this is an opportunity to slow down, explore, and create together.
These experiences are developed from my background in the textile and fashion industry, and are rooted in sustainable, mindful dyeing practices working with seasonal plants and blooms to bring each piece to life.
Signature Experiences
Botanical Solar Dyeing
Learn how to imprint fabric using botanicals and sunlight.
Natural Dye Potions
Mix and pour botanical dye potions made from roots, flowers, and plants, watching colors shift and come alive
“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 major companies in the fashion industry.
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.
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.