Natural Dyeing Tips and Tricks (9 hints to help you succeed)

My favorite tips, tricks and hacks that will make your natural dyeing projects more successful, even for complete beginners

Natural dye methods are enjoying a bit of a resurgence in recent years. It seems that crafters and fiber artists are trying to get back to nature perhaps because we have become so far removed from it.

And while I have done lots of dyeing with ‘convention’ dyes, I have also done my share of dyeing with natural materials.

And with all of my testing and playing around with these fun dyes, I have learned a few natural dyeing tips and tricks that may just help you as well.

While making dyes out of flowers, leaves, roots and trees is inherently quite unpredictable, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of success.

According to natural dye artist, Rebecca Desnos “Natural dyeing is (almost) as simple as making a cup of herbal tea”

What is Natural Dyeing?

Natural Dyes are colors that are extracted from natural materials such as flowers, leaves, trees, roots and even some insects. Through a multi step process of extraction, mordanting, etc., these dyes can be used to color natural fiber cloth.

This is an ancient form of creating colorful fabrics and yarn which has been used for centuries by people across the globe.

Can you make dye from food?

Absolutely! Many fruits, vegetables and spices make beautiful dye colors as you can see in this tutorial.

Unfortunately, dyes made from food are generally not washfast and will fade fairly quickly.

See how I dyed my cotton tea towels with turmeric spice powder.

Dyeing Safety

Even though this is called Natural Dyeing, please do not assume that it is completely safe! As I mentioned above, some substances that you use such as mordants and modifiers can be toxic if ingested or inhaled.

Also, any and all tools and equipment that you use such as pots, pans, measuring cups and spoons should be dedicated to dyeing only and never again used for food prep.

A small disclaimer . . .

If you are researching natural dye methods online, you have probably noticed a difference in the advice from one dye artist to the next.

This does not mean that anybody is wrong, it simply means that we all have our own way of doing things.

My advice to you is to experiment, a lot! That is the only way to figure out your own favorite techniques and methods. Try out every technique you find and see if it works for you.

This list of tips and tricks is simply what has worked for me.

My Top 9 Tips and Tricks:

1. Choose natural fibers

As a general rule, natural dyes work with natural fibers such as Cotton, Hemp or Bamboo (Cellulose) and Sheep Wool, Silk or Alpaca (Protein). Of these, protein fibers tend to accept the dyes better than cellulose.

Synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester generally do not accept or retain plant dyes and are therefore not recommended.

As you practice and gain experience, you will more than likely lean more toward one material over another.

2. Clean the fabric

Deep cleaning or scouring your fabrics removes any residual chemicals from detergents or dryer sheets as well as regular dirt and grease. All of those can keep the dye from thoroughly binding to the fabric.

For cellulose (plant fiber) fabrics, that means scouring. This involves simmering your fabrics in water and washing soda for a couple of hours. You can learn step by step how to scour cellulose fabrics in this article.

For protein (animal fiber) fabric, that means soaking your fabric in very hot water with detergent, rinsing and repeating until clean.

This tutorial shows you exactly how to do that without felting your fabric, so make sure and read it before attempting to wash your wool.

Note: Even brand new, store-bought fabrics should be deep cleaned. Why? Because manufacturers regularly pretreat them with sizing or starch to keep them from wrinkling. Sizing creates a layer on top of the fabric which acts as a barrier.

3. Mordant appropriately

Mordanting appropriately means using the correct mordant for the type of material you are using.

What is a Mordant? It is a substance used to “fix” natural dyes to a material. It helps the color to bind to the fabric. Without a mordant, most natural dyes would simply wash out.

Note: Some plant materials are rich in tannins and therefore do not require a mordant. These include black walnuts and acorns.

Examples of mordants are:

• Potassium Aluminum Sulphate for Silks and Wool and other Protein fibers
• Aluminum Acetate (AA), Soy Milk and Wheat Bran for Cottons, Bamboo, Hemp and other Cellulose fibers

This article does not go into the specifics of how to mordant your fabrics. If you need more information, visit this website which shares step by step tutorials on how to properly mordant most fabrics.

4. Use a modifier (Iron, Copper, Vinegar, etc)

Modifiers for natural dyeing change the color of your dye or already dyed pieces. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda all change the PH of your dye and therefore shift the final color.

Metals such as Iron and Copper (also act as modifiers.

(Note: some metals are toxic so be sure and follow any safety recommendations on the product container)

How do you use dye modifiers?

There are several ways: you can dip your fabric or other material to be dyed in a modifier solution before you place it in the dyebath.

You can add the modifier directly into the dye or you can dip or submerge your finished pieces into a modifier after the dye process.

It is also possible to make your own iron or copper solution with this recipe. This is great for beginners who want to experiment and while this homemade solution works fine, the downside is that you can’t control the strength.

Also, it takes a couple of weeks for the solution to be strong enough. 

Again, please read and follow all of the safety guidelines on the containers!!

5. Choose tannin rich plants

In general, the easiest type of plant materials to get good dyes contain their own tannins. Some can even be used quite successfully without needing any mordant at all.

Tannin rich plants are especially good if you are a beginning dyer. Some plants that contain tannin include Black Walnut, Pomegranate, Eucalyptus, Staghorn Sumac, Alder, Oak, Maple, Willow, Grape and Pine.

Keep in mind that many plants that do not contain tannins also produce a natural dye but your fabrics need to be properly mordanted.

6. Preserve plant materials for later use 

Some flowers and leaves need to be used fresh in order to extract color from them. However, many others can be preserved for later use.

This is handy in the Fall, for instance, when you are able to collect a bunch of lovely Maple leaves or anytime you see some potential dye stuff but don’t have the time to process it right away.

Two great ways to preserve your plants are freezing and drying.

To freeze your leaves and flowers, simply fill a zip type freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. To dry them, pick your flowers and leaves and then press them in between old phone books, a flower press or some old newspapers and then place the bundles in airtight bags.

When you are ready to use your dried leaves, place them in water for an hour or more to reconstitute.

7. Check your water

Meaning, check the PH of your water. Each district is different. Here, where I live in Kentucky, we have extremely hard water which means it is high in dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Ideally, you want water that has a PH of somewhere between 5 and 7 which is right in the middle of hard and soft. You can check the PH of your water with a test kit.

Another option is rainwater which averages 5.6 or distilled water with a PH of 7.

Can I successfully dye with tap water? Absolutely! Just keep in mind that the PH balance of your water affects the final outcome the same way adding vinegar or baking soda would.

8. Keep a log

Keeping careful notes on the type of fabric you are dyeing, specific mordant recipes and techniques, how much plant material, etc. is super important if you are interested in reproducing your results at some point.

Therefore, a dyeing log book with all of the details and sample swatches comes in handy. If you only want to give natural dyeing a try and are not really interested in remembering how you did it, you can just skip this step.

9. Mark your fabrics

If you are experimenting with several different dyes, fibers or modifiers in the same session, it is easy to get confused about what was applied where.

A simple solution to this is to mark or label each piece with thread and knots. Just attach a piece of yarn or string to the label or corner of your fabric and make a different number of knots for each dye test.

For instance, let’s say you plan to dye 3 different cotton blends with Marigold flowers.

In that case, fabric #1 gets 1 knot, fabric #2 gets 2 knots and fabric #3 gets 3 knots. That way you can easily keep track of how the various fabrics take the color.

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There you go. Those are just a few of the tricks that I have learned in my own natural dyeing (and eco printing) journey. Not all of these items apply to all dye materials, so do your homework.

And again, please remember that every dyer has their own way of doing things and you will probably see different recommendations on other sites. What works for one person may not work for another.

As I continue playing with dyes and learning new things, I will update this list so make sure you bookmark the page and stay tuned!

Finally, if you know of anything important that I have missed, by all means let me know.

Enjoy!
Annette

How do you prevent fading?

Properly mordanting your fabrics is the best way to make your colors last longer, however, even that will not make most dyes stay forever.

Having said that, there are a few things you can do to extend the color fastness.

• Limit washing your items as much as possible.
• When you do wash them, hand wash using a very mild detergent, especially made for delicate laundry
• Hang your fabrics in the shade, away from direct sunlight

Related Articles:

• How to Eco Print on Paper
• Eco Printing on Fabric
• Eco Printing Tips and Tricks
• Dyeing with Turmeric
• How to make dyes from food
• Staining papers with dyes made from fruits and vegetables
• Dyeing Cotton with Acorns
• How to dye with Black Walnuts
• Making a Dandelion Flower dye
• Ecoprint with Flowers on Paper
• Making a DIY Journal with Leaf Printed Papers
• How to Scour Fabric for Natural Dyeing

Natural Dyeing Tips and Tricks (9 hints to help you succeed)