Cola Nuts
Dye Colour: Orange to Almost-Black | Botanically: Cola nitida (Vent.) A. Chev.

Cola nuts, a treasured natural dye source from Africa, are celebrated for their rich, vibrant orange hue. When combined with Indigo, they create a striking, almost-black colour, a technique rooted in traditional African dyeing practices. With their high tannin content, Cola nuts offer exceptional colour fastness, making them a reliable and durable choice for natural dyeing. Perfect for eco-conscious artists and makers, Cola nuts provide a unique and sustainable addition to your dyeing collection.

Colour Fastness: Very Good

Video Demonstration:
To see the Cola nut dyeing process in action, watch this insightful video from 1996 showcasing the use of Cola nuts and Indigo in textiles.

"A Dyeing Art" - Indigo & Cola Nut & Textiles - Circa 1996

Watch the video here

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Quebracho Bark – Cut & Ground

Source: Schinopsis lorentzii (Quebracho Colorado)

Quebracho bark is a warm-toned, condensed tannin-rich material traditionally used in natural dyeing, leather tanning and fibre pre-treatment. We offer both cut bark and ground bark, each suitable for slow processes and earthy beige tones.

• Cut Bark: Ideal for decoctions and slow extractions
• Ground Bark: Finely milled for quicker infusion and stronger colour release

🌿 For those looking for faster solubility, our Quebracho Extract is available as a separate listing.

Main Components:

• Condensed tannins
• Flavonoids (including fisetin & dihydrofisetin)

Suggested Quantities (WOF – Weight of Fabric):

Cut or Ground Bark
• 30–50% WOF (soaked overnight or simmered 1 hour)

Extract (sold separately, see link below)
• 5–15% WOF (dissolves directly in water)

Uses:

• Natural Dyeing of Protein & Cellulose Fibres – beige
• Iron Modification – create grey, warm taupe or darker brown/beige shades
• Tannin Pre-treatment for Cellulose – use prior to mordanting
• Ink & Surface Design – ground bark can be brewed into concentrated liquids

The Plant:

Native to Argentina and Paraguay, Schinopsis lorentzii (Quebracho Colorado) is a dense hardwood whose bark yields powerful condensed tannins. A favourite among natural dyers for its earthy, iron-reactive shades and broad fibre compatibility.

Light Fastness:

Medium to High (especially with iron modifier)

Form Options:

• Cut Bark – coarse, for slow extractions and decoctions
• Ground Bark – finer, for quicker and deeper colour releases
• Powdered Extract (sold separately) – fast-dissolving, highly concentrated

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Neutral Henna Powder ~ colourless henna. It is also known as Cassia Obovata

Netural Henna is made from pure henna leaves of different quality and neutralized chemicals.

Neutral Henna Powder gives little or no colouring effect. I personally find that it gives a more natural look to lightened hair. It is used for hair conditioning and gives a natural shine & lustre to hair. Safe and free from any side effect, this henna  is widely used by those people who desire to benefit from the medicinal uses of henna but do not want to colour their hair.

It also has a powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties that have been used for centuries to treat common hair and scalp conditions such as lice, dandruff, psoriasis and ringworm.

- Adds volume
- Adds extra shine-
- Makes your hair feel and look thicker
- Deeply conditions and protects your hair
- Strengthens hair strands by filling in the damaged pockets in the follicles
- Elongates curls, giving hair more definition and length

USAGE
Mix ½ cup (50 g) of Neutral henna powder with ¼ cup (59 ml) of warm water. Double quantity for long or full hair. Stir to combine. Once you’ve mixed the powder and water, cover the bowl with plastic and let it develop at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Apply this paste uniformly on hair with the help of a brush or massage in.

Cover hair with a plastic cap and leave it for around 15 to 20 minutes for a little colour 1-2h.

Rinse off hair with plain water.

Horse Chestnut Bark – Cut

Source: Aesculus hippocastanum

Cut Horse Chestnut Bark is a lesser-known but valuable source of natural tannins, especially effective for cellulose fibre preparation, natural greys with iron, and historical dye practices. This bark contains condensed tannins, making it well suited for textile work on both plant and animal fibres.

Our bark is coarsely cut and ideal for slow dyeing, decoctions, or tannin-rich soaks. It can be used alone or combined with other tannins or metal salts for complex tones and improved mordant adhesion.

Main Components:

• Condensed tannins
• Flavonoids
• Saponins (minor)

Suggested Quantities (WOF – Weight of Fabric):

• 20–80% WOF for decoction or fibre soak
• Simmer for 1 hour or soak overnight
• Use hot or cool for varied tones

Uses:

• Pre-treatment of Cellulose Fibres – improves mordant take-up
• Iron Modification – yields soft greys and warm browns
• Natural Dyeing – use alone or as a tannin base
• Historical Dye Methods – suitable for re-enactment dyeing and archival processes

The Plant:

Horse chestnut is a deciduous tree native to southeastern Europe, now naturalised across Ireland and the UK. Its bark has long been used in folk medicine and traditional dyeing for its tannin content and gentle tones. When modified with iron, it reveals subtle grey-browns, ideal for grounding brighter botanical colours.

Light Fastness:

Medium to High (when used with a mordant)

Form:

• Coarse-cut bark
• Not water-soluble; requires simmering or soaking

🌿 Tip: Combine with iron sulphate for muted greys, or use as a base layer in multi-step dyeing on cellulose fibres.

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African Tagetes Flowers – Tagetes patula

Dye Colour: Yellow and Orange | Botanical: Tagetes patula | Grown & Dried in Ireland

Bring the warmth of summer to your fibre work with our hand-harvested African Tagetes flowers (Tagetes patula), grown and dried in County Clare, Ireland. These marigold-like blossoms yield rich yellow and orange hues ideal for natural dyeing.

Unlike Tagetes erecta, this smaller-flowered variety is more delicate in shape, making it well suited to both dye extraction and eco-printing, as well as bundle dyeing. Its accessible petal structure makes it a favourite for surface design artists - though the pressed or fresh versions would work better.

🌼 Limited availability – grown in small batches using ecological methods.

Colour Fastness:

Poor to Medium

Product Details:

• Quantity: 25g (approx. 25–35 flower heads)

• Grown & Dried in: County Clare, Ireland

• Ideal for: Colour extraction, eco-printing, surface design

Mordant-Based Recipe for Wool (Hot and Cold Dyeing)

Ingredients:

• 25g of Tagetes patula flowers

• 100g of wool fibre

• 10% alum mordant (based on fibre weight)

Hot Dyeing Instructions:

1. Soak flowers overnight in water

2. Boil for 1 hour to extract the dye, then strain

3. Add mordanted wool and simmer for 1 hour

4. Leave the wool to cool overnight in the bath for richer tones

5. Rinse gently and dry

Cold Dyeing Instructions:

1. Soak the flowers for 24–48 hours in cool water

2. Strain the flowers and add mordanted wool to the bath

3. Let sit 1–3 days, stirring occasionally

4. Rinse gently and dry when colour is achieved

Enjoy rich, locally grown colour whether you're dipping skeins or creating botanical prints.
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