Our Botanical Colors How-To’s pages are a go-to resource and step by step guides for both seasoned and new dyers. Looking to learn how to work with natural dyes? You’ve come to the right place. We have developed an extensive list of instructional guides for all your natural dye needs.
Step by Step Instructions & How To Guides
Indigo dyeing
Indigo is a unique process and requires different processes than other dyes to be successful. See our instructions for different types of indigo vats below!
Indigo Instructions
Our indigo instructions originally used a recipe based on Michel Garcia’s 1-2-3 vat, created nearly 10 years ago. Since then, we’ve made some changes and developed different recipes that will allow you to control how light or dark your vat is. Types of Vats: There are three main types of vats that you can build. Use the indigo instructions below to decide which one is best for you. Vat type About Advantages Disadvantages Fructose Clearest blue Dyes lighter than henna or iron Seems to perform best when aged for 2-3 days, and when warmed before use. Henna Warmest blue/yellow cast … Read more
Hide Glue Indigo Vat Instructions
These instructions will help you understand how to use hide glue in an indigo vat. Hide glue is a protein based adhesive used in fine woodworking and antique restoration and for thousands of years was the most common woodworking glue until the invention of polyvinyl acetate and resin glues in the 20th century. It is made from animal skins, bones and connective tissue and is a tenacious adhesive yet also water soluble and non toxic and not hazardous. Artists use rabbit skin glue to size canvases. People also use it in bookbinding and to prepare certain art mediums. For textile … Read more
How to Dye with Fresh Indigo
A beautiful blue with ice water and just-picked indigo leaves Our thanks to John Marshall for this easy recipe on how to dye with fresh indigo! One of the delights of growing your own Japanese indigo is making fresh indigo leaf baths and dipping for that beautiful and elusive slightly turquoise shade. What makes it even more special is that it works great on silk, and the fabric really shows off the color. For this process you will need: Instructions You will need a generous armful of indigo stalks to dye a few silk scarves or yarns. Wool will also dye beautifully with fresh … Read more
How to Make a 1-2-3 Fructose Indigo Vat
The fructose 1-2-3 vat is one of the easiest indigo vats to set up and gives good color. I’ve found that it benefits from a few days aging to really develop a consistent and beautiful blue. A fructose vat will give you a clear blue color and is a good choice if you want to dye light to medium blue shades. Dark shades require multiple dips. Unsure about what type of vat you want to use? See our blog post about different vat types here! Shop the the Easy 1-2-3 Fructose Indigo Kit here! Getting Started Ingredients (Amounts are calculated below) … Read more
How to Make a 1-2-3 Henna Indigo Vat
A henna vat will give you a warm blue color as henna has a strong brown-orange undertone, and it influences the cool shades of blue. It is a good choice for dark blue shades. Henna vats get noticeably stronger after several days of rest once they are built and the vat will smell strongly herbal. The henna powder is quite bulky and goopy when it is hydrated, so we like to mix it separately with a generous amount of water and then strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps before adding it into the vat. Unsure … Read more
How to Make a 1-2-3 Iron Indigo Vat
An iron vat will give you a cool blue-gray color. It is a good choice for dark blue shades. Once it is built, you can dip in this vat at room temperature without reheating it. If you want to dye wool or silk, do not use an iron vat as it damages protein fibers. Important safety note: Iron (ferrous sulfate) in high doses is unsafe for babies, small children and pets. It is not known if iron residue remains on the fabric and in the vat in amounts that could be of concern. Out of an abundance of caution, we … Read more
How to prepare fibers for dyeing
Before dyeing, you need to make sure your textiles are well prepared. Learn more below.
How to Mordant
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant dye process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. A mordant is a mineral salt that fixes with the fiber allowing natural dyes to bond to it. For us it is the most important step to improve light and washfastness. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it … Read more
How to Scour
Our How To guides are intended to make the dye process easy for our customers, from scouring and mordanting your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Scouring? “Scouring” is the textile term for cleaning fibers and removing sediment prior to mordanting and dyeing, and does not refer to washing fabrics in a washing machine. If the fiber is not clean, the mordant and dyes will not adhere well to the fiber. Fabrics sold as gray goods or “greige” require a thorough scour. Fibers need scouring if they feel … Read more
How to Mordant with Symplocos
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. (Check out our Q & A: Round Up of Mordanting + Scouring 101 here.) Most mordants are calculated based off of a percentage of the … Read more
How to Mordant with Aluminum Sulfate
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. Mordanting provides the dyer flexibility as fibers can be mordanted in advance, dried, and dyed later, or mordanted and dyed in … Read more
How to Mordant with Aluminum Acetate
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant dye process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. (Check out our Q & A: Round Up of Scouring + Mordanting 101 here.) Most mordants are calculated based on … Read more
How to Mordant with Tannin and Alum
Mordanting with Tannin and Aluminum Sulfate is the traditional cellulose mordant and was widely used prior to the introduction of Aluminum Acetate or Aluminum Triformate. You may use Aluminum sulfate or Aluminum potassium sulfate. Both are commonly referred to as “alum”. Our How To guides are intended to make the dye process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of … Read more
How to Mordant with Aluminum Potassium Sulfate
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. Mordanting provides the dyer flexibility as fibers can be mordanted in advance, dried, and dyed later, or mordanted and dyed in … Read more
How to Mordant with Aluminum Triformate
Our How To guides are intended to make the mordant process easy, from scouring your fibers to dyeing with an assortment of dyes. You can find other How To guides here. What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. (Check out our Q & A: Round Up of Mordanting + Scouring 101 here.) Mordanting with Aluminum Triformate Aluminum triformate is a room temperature mordant for … Read more
How to dye
Once your fibers are prepared, you’re ready to dye!
Natural Dye Extract Instructions
Natural dyes are a wonderful way to learn about the hidden colors in nature. We obtain yellow and purple from exotic dye woods, red from the cochineal bug and brown from a sweet-smelling resin. Follow the easy instructions below for best results and enjoy the color journey! Fiber Preparation and Mordanting Your fiber should be scoured and mordanted prior to dyeing. Visit our How To pages for information on scouring and mordanting instructions for wool, alpaca, silk (protein), cotton and plant (cellulose) fibers. Dyeing your Fibers Calculating the amount of dye that you need can be done by first weighing the material that you … Read more
Liquid Natural Dye Instructions
Our liquid dye instructions will help explain how to use Aquarelle and other liquid dyes. These dyes are convenient, easy to use, and produce beautiful, harmonious colors. Each dye comes from a leaf, root, bark or other natural source and has been used for generations by cultures all over the world. Cutch Liquid: A sweet-smelling brown. Himalayan Rhubarb Liquid: a rich gold from the rhubarb roots. This plant is also used in traditional herbal medicine. Liquid Logwood: a beautiful purple originally from Central America. Madder Liquid: one of the most ancient dyes. This is the red of Persian rugs. Myrobalan … Read more
How to Dye with Raw Materials
Different raw materials require different techniques. See our how tos for specific raw dye materials below.
Dye Flower Instructions
Flowers such as weld, coreopsis, dahlias, sulfur cosmos, marigold, sunflower and dyer’s chamomile are all considered dye flowers. Each of these plants will create various shades but their extraction techniques are similar. These instructions are for creating immersion dye baths. Fiber Preparation and Mordanting We offer scouring and mordanting instructions for wool, alpaca, silk (protein), cotton and plant (cellulose) fibers. Your fiber should be scoured and mordanted before dying. Creating and Using a Dyebath The amount of flowers needed ranges from 20-100% weight of fiber (WOF). Larger amounts of flowers will create darker and more saturated shades. If you are using fresh flowers, start … Read more
Tips For Dyeing With Marigolds
Ever wondered how to dye with marigold flowers? The humble marigold makes a beautiful and easy color that captures summer even when the weather is cold and gray. They brighten flower borders and are a companion plant in organic gardening. Marigold (Tagetes erecta) is native to Central America. The Aztecs used it as a flavoring ingredient for cacao. In Mexico, marigolds are also referred to as “Flor de Muertos” (Flowers of the Dead) and used in the Dia de los Muertos festivals and ceremonies. The deeply scented and brightly colored flower is believed to guide the spirits toward the elaborate … Read more
How to dye with Ceriops
Ceriops tagal is a traditional South Pacific island nation dye, derived from the bark of the mangrove tree. Our dye originates from FSC forests and is a waste product from the timber harvest. Its manufacture helps keep local village economies thriving while maintaining cultural importance and environmental stewardship. Shop Ceriops tagal here. We acknowledge that mangrove forests worldwide are under pressure from clear cutting, aquaculture, bamboo and palm grove planting and environmental impacts of industrial and agricultural activities. Unchecked development will threaten these vital forests. We only source the dye from our trusted partner, Threads of Life. Threads of Life … Read more
From the blog
Our blog contains recipes for different colors and instructions for many different projects. We are regularly updating the website with recipes and how to guides, so please check back!
Mordant Monday: Does Indigo Damage Mordants
We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] 2 light indigo dips on mordanted silk before immersing in exhaust dye baths to make pastels YOU ASKED: My question involves the processes of indigo dyeing when combined with other plant dyes that have been mordanted with aluminum acetate. My understanding is that citric acid discharges the mordant and also neutralizes the alkalinity of indigo as a last step in finishing indigo dyed cloth. How would you go about neutralizing indigo without discharging mordant? For some processes, I am … Read more
Mordant Monday: What is Dunging?
Cellulose fibers are the most common fiber that we start with as cotton fabric is readily available and affordable. However, cotton does not have the same affinity for natural dyes as protein fibers such as wool, so the cellulose mordant process is different to achieve good results. The mordant process for cellulose fibers includes pretreating with a tannin, then immersing the tannin treated fabric into an alum solution. This method is one of the earliest mordant methods for cellulose fibers and produces very good results. We use this method regularly as we also love to experiment with different tannins to … Read more
Mordant Monday: Nerd Week at Sanborn Mills Farm
I’m at the airport after teaching for 5 days at Sanborn Mills Farm in New Hampshire. Sanborn Mills Farm is a working organic farm and craft school specializing in traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, basketry, kitchen and textile arts. We saw newborn lambs, massive draft horses and oxen and dormant grain fields just starting their spring activity. Sanborn Mills Farm is one of my favorite places to teach with a dye garden a few steps away and trails and farm animals to visit and observe. The weather was typical unsettled early spring and we encountered high winds, heavy rain, … Read more
Mordant Monday: Creating Color In Tucson
We used raw dyestuffs: cochineal insects, coreopsis flowers, marigolds, extracts and two indigo vats (henna and fructose). I was very impressed how beautiful the colors came out! I was fortunate to teach in Tucson, Arizona last month for the Tucson Handweavers and Spinners Guild. This was my first time in Arizona and it was a wonderful experience. The dramatic desert landscape really commands your attention and the light just before sunset is luminous. The swatches are from a number of different dye baths and we mixed and matched colors to create 4-color palettes with an indigo dip at the end. … Read more
Mordant Monday: LIME GREEN
On this Saint Patrick’s Day, learn how to make this punchy lime green! We are pulling this exciting color back from our archives. Wink wink, you might remember it from this summer…Using weld and indigo, you can get awfully close to this punchy acid green. Natural dyes are often thought of as pastel or “soft” colors, but we’re here to help you make a hue that really packs a punch! This is the basic recipe Start with a mordanted cotton bandana, soak it in warm water for 30 minutes to thoroughly wet it out, and dip in a very light … Read more
Mordant Monday: Mordant after Dyeing?
YOU ASKED: Can I mordant after dyeing? I just returned from India, dyed a number of silk scarves and was told the I can mordant them after they have been dyed. I have been trying to find more details but have only read on your site about post-mordanting something that has already been mordanted? KATHY ANSWERED: There’s actually a technique that is practiced in Japan that is referred to as “middle mordanting”. The process is to immerse silk fabric in dye, then transfer it to a mordant bath, and then return it to the dye bath. It definitely deepens the … Read more
Mordant Monday: All of those Alums?
We had a question come in earlier this week about the differences in the variety of alum mordants we offer. Katie asks: Hello, I am wondering if it is possible to use Ammonium Aluminum Sulfate for mordanting wool? I am finding this substance in the spice section ofthe grocery store. I can’t seem to find definitive information about this and I feel confused about all the different “alums” that exist. We answered: The different alum types are basically the same mineral but they are refined differently for different purposes using a variety of chemicals. They can look different, too. For … Read more
MORDANT MONDAY: To Mordant Or Not To Mordant + Disposing Of Mordant Baths
We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] What is Mordanting? Mordanting is the most important process of preparing fibers to accept color. Using a mordant helps to ensure the most durable and long-lasting colors. With the exception of indigo (as a vat dye, it does not require a mordant), this is not an optional step. However, there are many different mordants you can use. Deciding which mordant to use comes down to the types of fibers you want to dye and how much time or energy … Read more
Mordant Monday: Tannin Workshop Review
Mordanted fat quarters in iron, marigold, indigo, marigold+indigo, logwood, logwood+ indigo, logwood + marigold and logwood + marigold+ indigo. Both Cara and I taught new online workshops about tannins and natural dyes this month. Cara introduced Tannin Grayscale, a fascinating look into using iron and tannin to create a rich range of deep and moody neutrals. I had envisioned that this would be a workshop on gray, gray and more gray, but the surprise was that her techniques create some beautifully saturated shades. My workshop was Tannin Rainbow, where I concentrated on combining different tannin mordanted fabrics with natural dye … Read more
If you have questions on Botanical Colors How To’s, please contact us at [email protected].