Tea Leaf Dyeing Workshop
Dye Fabric and Paper with Reused Tea Leaves
Berlin Tea Festival 2025
Date: 9th Nov 2025 Sunday
Time: Workshop 15:30 - 17:00 90min (Tea Fest 11:00–19:00)
Location: silent green Kulturquartier
Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin
Workshop in Atelier1 upstairs
Dyeing materials: paper+ line or cotton fabric + (you can also bring your own fabric)
Workshop Price: 55€ incl materials
Ticket for Berlin Tea Festival: *Berlin Tea Festival Ticket is required, please be sure you have Sunday 9th ticket, please get here and enjoy entire tea festival!
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Learn how to turn used tea leaves into beautiful natural dyes.
Fabric is original tie-dyed and simmered in tea, while paper is treated with tea-based ink, letting you enjoy the soft, warm tones of the tea. -
Tea dyeing “Cha-zome” 茶染め is a centuries-old Japanese tradition for creating gentle, natural colors. You can dye fabric and paper with tea leaves even after you’ve drunk. The tannins in the leaves and little iron such as rusty nails can color soft gray-dark tones.
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In this workshop, you will dye fabric and paper with tea, creating original tie-dye patterns. Take your dyed pieces home and enjoy them in everyday life, as tea-cloth, tea-accessory, or small art pieces while experiencing the beauty and history of tea-based natural dyeing.
photo by Martin Keil
Fabric
The linen or cotton fabric I provide is pre-treated to shorten the dyeing time and achieve a deeper color.
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You’re also welcome to bring one piece of your own fabric (plant or animal fiber), up to 50g. For more details in FAQ below.1, LINEN cha-fu 茶布 50×30cm
Linen fabric is thick and durable, making it suitable for daily tea ceremony cloths or for outdoor use. It has a natural, rustic look, with raw edges.
2, COTTON scarf 茶スカーフ60×60cm
Cotton fabric is thin and delicate, making it easy to create any patterns. Its large size allows it to be used in many ways, such as tea accessory, scarves, wrapping tea utensils.
Workshop Flow
Learn about Tea Dyeing & Dye Paper
Make tea-based ink on the spot and dye paper to experience the process.
Tie-Dye on Fabric
Add tie-dye patterns to the fabric.
＊The fabric has been pre-treated with iron for better color fixation.
Simmer Dyeing
Simmer the fabric in tea and enjoy watching the colors develop.
Check the Color
Take the fabric out of the pot and check the color.
If you want a deeper color, you can dip it in iron solution and dye it again with tea.
Rinse and Unfold Patterns
Wash the fabric and open the folds to see the final pattern.
*Dry the fabric at home to complete the process. Please bring a plastic bag or zip-lock bag to take your fabric home.
FAQ
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Yes,
This workshop is part of the Festival. Please be sure to purchase a BerlinTeaFestival2025 admission ticket beforehand here.
Enjoy a whole festival that big once-a-year Berlin tea festival! -
Unfortunately NO,
Since this workshop is part of the festival, a festival admission ticket for 9th Sunday is required to avoid confusion.
I apologize for the inconvenience.You will need to either change your Saturday ticket to Sunday or change to TWO DAYS festival ticket.
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Yes, you’re welcome to bring one piece of your own fabric.
However, due to the limited time and space for dyeing pots, each participant can bring
-one piece of fabric,
-plant/animalfibers,
-weighing up to 50 g
(ex. handkerchief/table napkin etc).
Please choose the piece you’d like to test.Please note about bringing fabric:
The linen/cotton fabric I provide will be pre-treated to shorten the dyeing time to archive deeper color, so the fabric you bring may take the color a bit more lightly than the provided fabric.
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Basically EN, document can be EN/DE.
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~ 7. Nov 100% back
8. & 9. Nov 50% back
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Colored water may splash, so please wear clothes that can get a little dirty or bring an apron.
Book an appointment
Yurika Saito
Yurika Saito is a textile and visual artist from Japan, based in Berlin. She works with embroidery, painting and dyeing, exploring connections between nature, people, and everyday life.
Through her Living Dyeing project, she uses local waste from Berlin restaurant to create dyes and runs workshops where participants can learn and experience sustainable dyeing practices.