Welcome to our Botanical Colors natural dyes FAQ’s page! Have any product questions? Please contact us at [email protected]. Please allow 3-5 business days for responses to all inquiries.
About our Dyes
Our natural dyes are textile grade products and suitable for use with textiles to dye, paint or print only. Our dyes are not suitable for the following applications:
- food products
- food, alcohol or beverage coloring
- cosmetics, soaps and hair products
- feminine hygiene products
- body paint or tattoos
- spray tanning
- coloring commercial products such as soaps, candles, medicinal tinctures, solutions or other preparations
We are unable to answer questions about these types of applications and cannot be held responsible for their use in this manner.
If you would like the safety data sheet for any of our dye products, please fill out this form.
Sales, exchange and refund policy
All sales are final and we recommend you make your choices carefully. We have specific cancellation policies for workshops, classes and events so please check out those terms and conditions if you have questions.
Shipping Guidelines
Please be aware the nearly all the carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL) are no longer guaranteeing delivery times. We are quoting 5-7 business days for your order to ship (on in stock products), but are endeavoring to ship more quickly than those guidelines.
Shipping snafus, partials and incorrect addresses
- Our order system ships to the address that you specify on your order.
- If the address is not recognized by the US Postal Service for US or international addresses, we will contact you for clarification prior to shipping which can add to your processing time.
- If the address you specify is incorrect and your order is returned to us, we will contact you to correct the address and request that you pay for additional shipping costs to re-ship your order.
- If we make an error on your order we will ship any missing or damaged items to you at no additional charge.
- We sometimes ship items on your order separately (items like the Color Wheel which requires a tube) and will usually note that on your order.
In Stock, Out of Stock, and Backstock
In stock means we have the product and can ship it.
Out of stock means that we do not have the product, and are not expecting more. This happens mostly with items like one-of-a-kind items, dye seeds or seasonal dyes.
Backstock means that it is temporarily out of stock but we are expecting more. If you have a multiple items in your order, we will often ship the in stock items to you and send the backstocked item when it becomes available.
How to Redeem a Gift Card
Our Gift Cards are virtual. You will not be sent a physical card in the mail. On checkout, the gift card may be sent to your email or to the recipient. If you send the card to yourself and later gift it to a recipient, please contact us at [email protected] with that person’s email address so we may update the gift card.
Use of Plastic Packaging
We are very happy to report that the majority of our packaging is compostable. (Please see here for more information.) It is meant to be composted in an industrial facility so disposing of it in municipal composts is recommended. This packaging is not meant to be thrown in the garbage or recycling. Some products will remain in plastic bags. We have found that these items do not ship well in our eco-packaging.
Substitutions
Our dyes are are grown in fields, wild harvested, or come from small agricultural producers and are subject to the rhythms of nature. Many of the dyes are seasonal or have limited availability. In regards to this: if we we run short on a dye that is included in a kit, we reserve the right to substitute a similar type dye until our supply is replenished. An example would be if we run out of Osage Orange extract, we would substitute Fustic extract. Updated instructions are provided with any substitutions.
Workshop and Class Information
We try to keep the rules short and sweet – please review these and contact us if you have any questions.
- Please register early as our classes fill quickly. You will receive an email confirmation of your registration plus a materials list (if applicable) and any special instructions about 3 weeks before the start of class.
- In person class check-in begins 15 minutes before the class commences.
- Please do not bring children to classes unless they are also registered – contact us for details.
- Many of our workshop venues do not allow pets. We thank you for respecting this policy.
Class and Workshop Cancellation Policy
- You will receive a full refund if Botanical Colors cancels this class.
- Your registration is non-refundable if you should cancel, and you may choose to have someone take your place. Please contact us immediately if you are unable to attend the class.
- We are not responsible for expenses incurred outside the workshop, such as lodging and travel expenses due to a workshop cancellation or you being unable to attend a workshop.
- We cannot guarantee that handouts or materials will be available to you should you cancel your attendance at a workshop.
Social Media
- Many of our natural dye teachers have dedicated years to their art and techniques, and teaching is a vital way for them to support themselves and their projects. Many do not want you to video their teaching without express written permission. Please respect their wishes regarding class photos, videos, audio recording, written handouts, and their proprietary methods. Some may allow photos but no social media posting or sharing.
- As well, students may not wish to participate in social media posts Please ask if you are planning to take photos. If someone does not want you to take their photo, respect their wishes.
Privacy Policy
Botanical Colors, LLC collects personal information as required to fill orders and ship goods. We do not disclose or share any personal information with any other party. We use a secure online ordering system through Paypal.
Botanical Colors, LLC maintains a mailing list and makes periodic mailings to individuals via an electronic newsletter. Each mailing has an “unsubscribe” button if you no longer wish to receive our electronic newsletters.
See our detailed privacy policy here.
More information on order and shipping policies FAQ’s can be found here.
did your shipping charges go up drastically? Why does it cost $20 to ship $30 of products?
Diane
Hi Diane,
Our shipping charges are dynamically calculated by USPS, so you can select among First Class and Priority Rate options, but these are all based on weight, dimensions and distance to ship. So if you have an item that is relatively low in cost, like 500 grams of whole madder root, the shipping will be high because the madder root is bulky and requires a larger box and is charged by dimensional weight and distance sent. If you ordered 500 grams of madder extract, the shipping would be less as it fits in a smaller box which carries a lower cost. It’s not exactly intuitive, so we do try to offer a couple of options when possible, but each shipping class has a set of parameters that our products have to follow. All of the carriers that we use have raised their prices at least 5% from 2018, so those charges are reflected in the shipping estimates as well. Thank you for asking – Kathy
Hi. I live in Seattle and I would very much like to help out with getting some of your indigo seeds in the ground. However, I cannot fathom spending $15 for shipping of the seeds. Is that a correct amount? Or isn’t there some way that I can pick up the seeds?
I’d really really like to plant indigo!
Thank you,
Laura
Hi Laura,
If you don’t put in your ship to address the system automatically defaults to $15. Sorry you missed it! At this time we cannot have people come to the studio so they will have to be shipped. Let me know if you have any problems with checking off that button.
Best,
Amy
I made my first fructose 1-2-3 vat (yay, using your products, of course!), and I’m noticing that my fabric is quite stiff after multiple dips, even when I rinse in between dips. Have you noticed this? It makes sense since I’m basically dipping in sugar syrup, but I wanted to hear your views. BTW, I’m totally happy with the result and the beautiful deep blue color.
i thought i had seen something on your post about the dyeing with green powder, commonly used in asia for henna. Do you have a recipe for dyeing with this green? or does it work with the 1-2-3 method? I am sure you have come across this at some time…..can you help?
Hi Beverly,
We have a 1-2-3 Henna Indigo Vat recipe here: https://botanicalcolors.com/how-to-make-a-1-2-3-henna-indigo-vat/
Best,
Amy
What is the country of origin of your Aluminum Acetate? Also, is production of Aluminum Acetate ecologically sound? I love using it as a mordant for cotton, but I want to know if using it is really eco-friendly and where it’s coming from.
Hi Natalia,
Our Alum Acetate is made in the US. If you prefer to use something more ecologically sound, maybe you want to use only tannins for plant fiber mordanting? We offer a list of alternative tannins that may be used for mordanting. Please be aware that tannins will create a different shade than aluminum acetate but these ingredients are also part of a long tradition of natural dyeing and worthy of experimentation.
https://botanicalcolors.com/2021/05/05/10-natural-dye-extracts-you-can-also-use-as-a-mordant/
Don’t know if this is the place for questions????
1. How can I print things from the website? I tried to print the Heidi Iverson requirements and the categories/titles are superimposed over all the pages. I am using an iPad.
2. How do I get a coupon??? tee hee.
Linda
Hi Linda,
Maybe just copy/paste all the text into a Word doc and print out?
Hello!
I am using your printing paste thickener with good results. Im experimenting with Tannin and ferrous. Can you tell me what is in the paste? Im also experimenting with Guar gum and a couple other choices. Id love to know what I am actually working with! Thanks
Janet Shaw
Hi Janet,
It’s Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum and gum tragacanth!
thank you
Hello, I bought ceriops tagal and am trying to find a source for symplocos. Any suggestions? Thanks the color is awesome!
We will be fully restocked with symplocos in about a week!
awesome! Beautiful dye!
Hello! I am in Canada. I am wondering if you have ever had any trouble shipping natural dye stuff over here? Thanks!
Hi Leah,
We have not! Order away 🙂
Perfect! I placed a large order yesterday. Excited to try out your company’s goods (:
Thank you!!
My order #27213 was placed on May 12, 2022 and is currently On hold. Is there something I should do? Is it actually going to ship eventually? The payment has been completed.
Sherri Coffey
Hi Sherri,
We have just finished working with our t-shirt partner printing and making sure everything is perfect and sending out next week!
Thank you!
Hi Amy & Kathy,
I am trying to move away from using gas and am looking for a good quality double burner for outside use.
Can you recommend any?
Thanks,
Cathryn
It’s hard to get away from the convenience of propane cookers! If you have electrical outlets that you can use, any electrical plate or induction burner would operate well outside as most of them have solid bases and not the fragile electrical coil design. In areas where there is a lot of sunlight, it is possible to make a solar “oven” that will heat dye baths very nicely.
Do you mostly deal with cotton? I would love to try some tannin mordants on wool but I only see cotton being referenced. And often there is a difference in mordantly cotton vs wool. Am I missing something?
Thanks, Nancy
Hi Nancy,
There is a different method for mordanting cotton or cellulose fibers and wool, or protein fibers. Tannin and alum as a mordant is used for cotton fabrics. There’s no need to add tannin to wool fibers as wool has an affinity to natural dyes and doesn’t need tannin as a mordant pre-treatment. You can certainly use tannin in your dye baths to achieve a brown or tan shade on the wool before dyeing, and you can also use naturally brown or gray wool to overdye. We talk about cotton frequently as most dyers use cotton to dye. I hope that clears it up for you.