Eager to plunge into the wonderful world of natural dyeing? Explore our natural dyes below. Including some organic options!
5 products
Logwood Dye
Dye Colour: Blue, Purple & Black | Collected in the Wild in Haiti
Logwood, also known as Bois de Campeche or Campeachy Wood, is a natural, pH-sensitive dye that originates from wood found in Central America. This versatile dye creates stunning blues, purples, and deep blacks on wool, cotton, and silk. While its colour fastness is considered poor by experienced dyers, Logwood is commonly used in combination with other dyes to achieve rich, deep blacks. Perfect for eco-conscious artists, Logwood is available as cut or ground bark for your dyeing projects.
Colour Fastness: Poor (best used with other dyes for black)
Product Details:
Basic Recipe (Using Ground Bark):
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Alternatively, soak the Logwood chips overnight, then boil for 1 hour before use.
For Logwood extract, please visit our Natural Dye Extracts Page.
Explore the potential of Logwood Dye for a range of vibrant blues, purples, and blacks in your natural dyeing projects!
COCHINEAL DYE ~ Dye colours red, pinks to purples
Origin: Canary Islands, Spain. Organically farmed and processed by Canaturex
I am so delighted to have finally found some organic Cochineal. Lorenzo is one of the very first offering fully traceable Cochineal grown to organic principals.
Cochineal, a powerful dye sourced from tiny insects that feed on cacti, produces stunning shades of purple, red and pink. With just one dye bath, this incredible insect can create a range of hues, from deep, rich reds to delicate, fairy-like pinks. It is derived from the Dactylopius species of insects, and its body contains 19-22% carminic acid.
*To make one kilogram of cochineal dye, it takes about 80,000 to 100,000 insects.
Excellent colour fastness is guaranteed.
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Recipe for Wool Fibres: Downloadable PDF
Recipe For Plant Fibres: Downloadable PDF
Basic recipe:
6% Cochineal
Wool yarn mordanted with Alum 10%
Soak Cochineal in Water overnight
blend using a stick blender
Add dye to dye bath
Bring to a simmer
Remove any black tar like bubbles
Strain through a cloth and keep to the side
Add yarn to bath simmer for one hour.
Add dye bag to second and any following dye baths.
Organic Ground, Cut, or Whole Hibiscus Flowers
Vibrant Pink & Purple Hues for Dyeing | Cultivated in Egypt
Hibiscus flowers are an excellent choice for natural dyeing, offering stunning shades from light purples to deep pinks and even greens, depending on the mordant used. Ground Hibiscus produces a lighter purple hue on wool, while cut or whole flowers yield more vibrant tones. This pH-sensitive dye is perfect for hobby dyers and children’s activities, as it offers interesting colour shifts - from green to purple to pink - and an experimental approach to dyeing.
Dyeing Tips:
Colour Fastness: Poor (colour may shift with pH changes)
Basic Hibiscus Dye Recipe:
A delightful and experimental natural dye, perfect for adding beautiful, ever-changing shades to your projects!
Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.
ELDERBERRY DYE (Sambucus Nigra)
Dye Colour: Light Purple and Green (with Soda Ash) | Country of Collection: Poland (Cut), Croatia (Whole)
Elderberries have long been valued for their rich colour and traditional uses in dyeing, medicine, and natural remedies. This versatile dye plant produces soft purples on wool and silk, while a shift in pH using Soda Ash transforms the colour to a muted green. Though not wash or lightfast, elderberry dye is perfect for experimental dyeing, educational projects, and hobbyists looking to explore natural colour shifts.
Colour Fastness: Poor (Best for short-term or artistic use)
pH Sensitivity: High (shifts from purple to green with Soda Ash)
Colour Outcomes by WOF Ratio:
50% WOF Dye (Elderberry): Soft lavender tones.
75% WOF Dye (Elderberry): Deeper purple hues.
100% WOF Dye (Elderberry): Rich, saturated purples.
pH Shift with Soda Ash: Produces leafy green tones.
Basic Recipe for Dyeing:
Ingredients: 50%-100% Elderberry Dye, 10%-20% Alum (for mordanting wool), 10% Tartaric Acid
Instructions:
Mordant fabric or yarn with Alum (if dyeing wool).
Add water to the dye pot and mix in tartaric acid. Bring to a boil.
Simmer the elderberries for 60 minutes.
Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with cloth, return the liquid to the pot, and add the tied dye bag for extra extraction.
When cool enough, add your mordanted fibre and heat to 80°C for 1 hour.
Let the fibres cool in the dye bath for 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the desired depth of colour.
To achieve a green tone, add Soda Ash to the dye bath.
Rinse when finished and dry naturally.
Elderberry dye is a fun and fascinating way to explore pH-sensitive natural dyeing. Ideal for creative projects, it allows dyers to experiment with shifting shades and discover the beauty of plant-based colour.
ALKANET ~ Dye Colour: Purple, grey
Our ALKANET ROOT is harvested in India. Its colour ranges from purple to blue to grey, depending on the extraction method and mordants used. Please note that alcohol extraction is necessary for obtaining true purples.
Colour fastness: Poor
Though we sell alkanet in our shop, I never use it. It isn't lightfast and due to needing a heated alcoholic solution it can become quite pricey when living in Ireland! However, if you would like to give it a go, alkanet is a mordant dye after extraction.
Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.
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