Natural Dyes

Buckthorn species are native to the Middle East, and Mediterranean. Also known as Persian berries since the warm yellow colour comes from the unripe berries. Use cream of tartar along with mordants...

Calx is also known as calcium hydroxide, hydrated lime, or slaked lime. It serves as an alkali in many dye recipes. Calx is used in indigo fermentation vats and serves to raise the ph level helping...

Chamomile – Anthemis tinctoria is part of the daisy family and grows throughout North America, Europe and throughout the Himalaya region. It is often used in Turkish carpets for a warm, strong yellow...

This powder is an extract prepared from steeping the wood of the Acacia Catechu tree in hot water until a syrupy liquid immerges. This is dried and then ground into powder It is common to most parts...

Walnut – (Eastern Black Walnut) Juglans nigra. This dyestuff is obtained from the bark of the tree and also from the green husks of the fruit. Domonique Cardon has called walnuts “great living...

Eastern Brazilwood - also known as Sappan wood, is found in the heartwood of trees belonging to the species Caesalpinia Sappan. Two well known sources are Pernambuco from Brazilian coast and...

Sodium hydroxide - also known as caustic soda. Lye is a strong alkali used with vat dyes and indigo. Wear protective clothing when mixing lye and have good ventilation. Always add lye to cold water...

Marigold - This dyestuff consists of dried and ground flower heads of the Tagetes species. It yields rich vibrant yellows, green-yellows and oranges with 20 -30% dried marigold to wof. Marigold is...

Chestnut trees grow in many parts of the world and contain a great source of tannin. They dye a warm brown colour. This dye is also well known for it’s ability to dye silk black with the addition of...

Myrobalan - This dyestuff consists of ground nuts of the Terminalia chebula tree. This tree grows in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Indochina and South China. It may be classed as both a...

Pomegranate - An extract from the rinds of pomegranates (Punica granatum), this dyestuff is high in tannin and improves the light and washfastnes of any dye with which it is mixed. In India and...

Quebracho dye comes from a tree native to South America, which is very high in tannins. The dye can vary in colours from coral, warm red brown, yellow or green depending on the species. Dyeing: Use...