Annato Seed: (Bixaorellana) Will Give an Orange Shade, It Is a Good Dye for Cotton

Natural Dyes

Beautiful bright colors can be obtained by dyeing with natural dyes. Dyes can be gathered from nature or you can use dyestuff which will give you any color under the rainbow. Alkanet Root: (AlkannaTinctoria) This will give colors from bluish grey to soft burgundy. This plant will grow like a weed if one wants to grow it.

Annato Seed: (BixaOrellana) Will give an orange shade, it is a good dye for cotton.

Brazilwood Dust: (CaesalpaniaEchinata) This dye will give you reds. Before using the dust, expose it to the air and sprinkle with water and alcohol.

Cochineal: (DactylopiusCoccus) The little cochineal bug will give the most color when ground into a fine powder. Obtainable colors are dark burgundy to bright red to soft lilac and pink.

Cutch Extract: (Acacia Catechu) Cutch is a very easy dye. It will remain fast even on cottons and silks. It is good for combinations and produces brown tones if used by itself.

Indigo Natural: (Indigo Tinctotia) Natural Indigo comes in blocks which, without further preparation, dyeing would not be possible as it does not dissolve in water. A recipe and reducing agent are needed. The color range that is produced is blue.

Indigo Solution Natural: (Saxony blue) Produces a bright blue and is very easy to use, similar to a chemical dye. All of the dye will be absorbed in the fiber. It is not very good to dye cotton nor other vegetable fibers.

Loqwood Concentrate: (HematoxylonCampechianum) Expected colors anywhere from magenta's and brown to purples and pink. A mordant is absolutely needed. The concentrated powder will give more bluish colors. It dyes cotton well.

Madderroot: (RubiaTinctorum) Is available in two forms: root or dust. Colors range anywhere from red to red-brown and oranges. It dyes cotton well.

Osage Orange Dust: (MacluraPomifer) Also available in two colors; bright yellow and gold. Two different colors can be obtained.

Red Sandalwood: (Pterocarpus) This dye is beautiful for blending. It produces lovely browns, good shade combinations for doll hair.

Mordants for Natural Dyeing

Mordants are needed to set the color when using natural dyes. Different mordants will give different results. Alum: (Aluminum Potassium Sulfate) This is the most widely used mordant. Be careful not to use too much with wool, otherwise you will get a sticky feeling that doesn't come out.

Copper: (Copper Sulfate) This mordant is used to bring out the greens in dyes. It will also darken the dye colors, similar to using tin, but is less harsh.

*Chrome: (Potassium Dichromate) Chrome brightens dye colors and is more commonly used with wool and mohair than with any other fiber.

Extremely toxic. Chrome should not be inhaled and gloves should be worn while working with chrome. Left over mordant water should be disposed of at a chemical waste disposal site and treated as hazardous waste.

Iron: (Ferrous Sulfate) Dulls and darkens dye colours. Using too much will make the fiber brittle.

Glaubersalt: (Sodium Sulfate) Used in natural dyes to level out the bath. Also use in chemical dye.

Spectralite: (Thiourea Dioxide) This is a reducing agent for indigo dyeing.

Tara Powder: (CaesalpiniaSpinosa) Tara Powder is a natural tannin product. It is needed for darker colors on cotton, linen and hemp.

Tartaric Acid: A must for cochineal. This mordant will expand the cochineal colors.

Tin: (Stannous Chloride) Tin will give extra bright colors to reds, oranges and yellows on protein fibers. Using too much will make wool and silk brittle. To avoid this you can add a pinch of tin at the end of the dying time with fiber that was premordanted with alum. Tin is not commonly used with cellulose fibers.

Calcium Carbonate: Is to be used with indigo powder for the saxon blue color. It can also be used to lower the acidity of a dyebath.

Making Natural Dyes From Plants

Did you know that a great source for natural dyes can be found right in your own back yard! Roots, nuts and flowers are just a few common natural ways to get many colors. Yellow, orange, blue, red, green, brown and grey are available. Go ahead, experiment!
Gathering plant material for dyeing: Blossoms should be in full bloom, berries ripe and nuts mature. Remember, never gather more than 2/3 of a stand of anything in the wild when gathering plant stuff for dying.
To make the dye solution: Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Double the amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.
Getting the fabric ready for the dye bath: You will have to soak the fabric in a color fixative before the dye process. This will make the color set in the fabric.

Color Fixatives:

Salt Fixative (for berry dyes) 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water

Plant Fixatives (for plant dyes) 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar

Add fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour. Rinse the material and squeeze out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear.

Dye Bath: Place wet fabric in dye bath. Simmer together until desired color is obtained. The color of the fabric will be lighter when its dry. Also note that all dyed fabric should be laundered in cold water and separately.

Muslin, silk, cotton and wool work best for natural dyes and the lighter the fabric in color, the better. White or pastel colors work the best.

NOTE: It's best to use an old large pot as your dye vessel. Wear rubber gloves to handle the fabric that has been dyed, the dye can stain your hands. It's also important to note, some plant dyes may be toxic, check with the Poison Control Center if unsure.