Color Recipes

Part of Natural Dyes & Inks

Specific, tested dye color recipes using common natural materials.

Why This Matters

Natural dyeing can feel like guesswork — plant materials vary by season, soil, climate, and species. But centuries of textile tradition have produced reliable recipes that work consistently when followed carefully. These recipes are the accumulated empirical knowledge of dyers across cultures, refined through thousands of iterations.

Having a set of proven recipes eliminates the trial-and-error that wastes scarce dye materials and fiber. Each recipe below specifies exact proportions (as percentage of the weight of goods — WOG), temperatures, times, and expected results. They are organized from the simplest (single-step, one-pot) to the most complex (multi-step over-dyes), so you can build skills progressively.

All recipes assume clean, pre-wetted fiber. Mordanting should be done before dyeing unless otherwise noted. Quantities are given per 100g of dry fiber weight.

Yellow Recipes

Recipe 1: Weld Yellow (The Gold Standard)

Weld (Reseda luteola) produces the most lightfast yellow in the natural dye palette.

Component	Amount	Notes
Dried weld (whole plant)	100g (100% WOG)	More = deeper color
Alum mordant	12g (12% WOG)	Pre-applied
Cream of tartar	6g (6% WOG)	With mordant
Water	8-10 liters	Enough to move fiber freely

Procedure:

1. Soak dried weld in water overnight
2. Simmer weld for 1 hour, then strain out plant material
3. Add pre-mordanted, pre-wetted fiber to the dye bath
4. Heat slowly to 80°C and hold for 45-60 minutes
5. Allow to cool in the bath overnight
6. Remove, rinse gently, dry in shade

Result: Bright, warm yellow. Among the most lightfast natural yellows — textiles dyed with weld centuries ago still show color.

Recipe 2: Onion Skin Gold

Component	Amount
Brown onion skins	200g (200% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Water	8-10 liters

Procedure:

1. Simmer onion skins in water for 45 minutes
2. Strain out skins
3. Add mordanted fiber
4. Simmer 45 minutes
5. Cool in bath, rinse

Result: Rich golden-orange. Excellent fastness. One of the easiest first-time dye projects.

Recipe 3: Marigold Yellow

Component	Amount
Fresh marigold flower heads (Tagetes spp.)	300g (300% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Water	8-10 liters

Procedure:

1. Simmer flower heads 30 minutes
2. Strain and add mordanted fiber
3. Simmer 45 minutes
4. Cool in bath, rinse

Result: Soft, warm yellow. Moderate lightfastness — fades more than weld but widely available in most gardens.

Red Recipes

Recipe 4: Madder Red (Classic)

Madder root (Rubia tinctorum) is the most reliable source of red in temperate climates.

Component	Amount	Notes
Dried madder root (chopped/ground)	50-100g (50-100% WOG)	More = deeper red
Alum mordant	15g (15% WOG)	Pre-applied
Cream of tartar	7g (7% WOG)	With mordant
Water	8-10 liters	Use soft water if possible

Procedure:

1. Soak chopped madder root in lukewarm water overnight — this extracts the dye gently
2. Next day, add pre-mordanted fiber to the same water with the root material still present
3. Heat VERY SLOWLY to 70°C — this is critical. Exceeding 70°C produces dull brown instead of red
4. Hold at 65-70°C for 1-2 hours. Never let it boil.
5. Turn off heat and leave fiber in the bath overnight
6. Remove, rinse in cool water, dry

Result: Warm, brick red to turkey red depending on concentration and water chemistry.

Temperature Is Everything with Madder

The alizarin molecule that produces red is heat-sensitive. Above 70°C, it breaks down and the dull brown component (purpurin) dominates. Keep temperature below 70°C for the reddest results. A cooking thermometer is extremely helpful.

Recipe 5: Madder Coral Pink

Component	Amount
Dried madder root	25g (25% WOG) — half the normal amount
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Water	10 liters

Procedure: Same as Recipe 4 but with less madder. The reduced dye concentration produces a lighter coral-pink shade. Two short simmering sessions (30 minutes each with overnight soaking) often produce clearer pinks than one long session.

Result: Soft coral to salmon pink. Lovely on wool and silk.

Recipe 6: Brazilwood Crimson

Component	Amount
Brazilwood chips (Caesalpinia spp.)	50g (50% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Cream of tartar	6g with mordant
Water	8-10 liters

Procedure:

1. Soak wood chips overnight in warm water
2. Simmer chips for 1-2 hours to extract dye
3. Strain out chips
4. Add mordanted fiber
5. Simmer at 80°C for 1 hour
6. Cool in bath, rinse

Result: Bright crimson-red. Good washfastness but only moderate lightfastness. Add a splash of vinegar to the dye bath for redder tones; add a pinch of soda ash for more purple tones.

Green Recipes

Recipe 7: Weld + Indigo Green

Component	Amount
Dried weld	100g (100% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Prepared indigo vat	Active and reduced

Procedure:

1. Dye fiber yellow with weld following Recipe 1
2. Rinse and squeeze
3. Dip yellow-dyed fiber in the indigo vat for 5-15 minutes (depending on desired shade)
4. Remove and oxidize in air for 15-20 minutes
5. For deeper green, repeat indigo dips 2-3 times
6. Final rinse

Result: True grass green (1-2 dips) to forest green (3-4 dips).

Recipe 8: Olive Green (One Pot)

Component	Amount
Dried weld or goldenrod	100g (100% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Iron sulfate (modifier)	2g (2% WOG)

Procedure:

1. Dye yellow using standard method
2. Dissolve iron sulfate in a cup of hot water
3. Add iron solution to the dye bath with the fiber still in it
4. Stir gently for 15-20 minutes
5. Remove, rinse, dry

Result: Olive to grey-green depending on iron amount. Simple and fast.

Brown Recipes

Recipe 9: Walnut Brown (No Mordant)

Component	Amount
Black walnut hulls (fresh or dried)	200-300g (200-300% WOG)
Water	10 liters

Procedure:

1. Crush or chop walnut hulls
2. Soak in water 24-48 hours, or simmer 2-3 hours
3. Strain out hulls
4. Add pre-wetted fiber (no mordant needed)
5. Simmer for 1-2 hours
6. Cool in bath overnight
7. Rinse

Result: Rich chocolate brown. Extremely lightfast. Works on all fiber types.

Recipe 10: Oak Bark Tan

Component	Amount
Oak bark (chopped)	200g (200% WOG)
Alum mordant	12g pre-applied
Water	10 liters

Procedure:

1. Soak bark overnight, then simmer 2 hours
2. Strain and add mordanted fiber
3. Simmer 1 hour
4. Cool in bath, rinse

Result: Warm golden tan to medium brown. Excellent lightfastness and washfastness.

Purple Recipes

Recipe 11: Madder and Indigo Purple

Component	Amount
Dried madder root	75g (75% WOG)
Alum mordant	15g pre-applied
Prepared indigo vat	Active and reduced

Procedure:

1. Dye fiber red with madder following Recipe 4 (keep below 70°C)
2. Rinse gently and squeeze
3. Dip red-dyed fiber in indigo vat for 5-10 minutes
4. Remove and oxidize 15-20 minutes
5. Evaluate — repeat indigo dips for deeper purple
6. Final rinse

Result: Plum to violet depending on the balance of red and blue. A strong red base with 1-2 indigo dips gives the clearest purple.

Black Recipes

Recipe 12: Oak Gall Black (Iron-Tannin)

Component	Amount
Oak galls (crushed)	50g (50% WOG)
Iron sulfate	8g (8% WOG) total across all cycles
Gum arabic (optional)	5g — helps fix the black
Water	10 liters per bath

Procedure:

1. Simmer crushed oak galls in water for 1 hour, strain
2. Add pre-wetted fiber and soak for 2-4 hours (no heat needed)
3. Remove fiber (don’t rinse)
4. Dissolve 2g iron sulfate in warm water
5. Submerge tannin-treated fiber in iron bath for 30 minutes — color turns dark grey immediately
6. Remove (don’t rinse)
7. Return to tannin bath for another 2-hour soak
8. Return to fresh iron bath (2g iron) for 30 minutes
9. Repeat tannin-iron cycle 2-3 more times
10. Final rinse in water with a splash of vinegar

Result: Deep black after 4-5 cycles. Improves with age as iron-tannin complexes mature.

Quick Reference Table

Color	Recipe #	Dye Source	Mordant	Difficulty
Bright yellow	1	Weld	Alum	Easy
Golden orange	2	Onion skins	Alum	Easy
Soft yellow	3	Marigold	Alum	Easy
Red	4	Madder	Alum	Moderate
Pink	5	Madder (light)	Alum	Moderate
Crimson	6	Brazilwood	Alum	Moderate
Green	7	Weld + indigo	Alum + vat	Moderate
Olive	8	Weld + iron	Alum + iron	Easy
Brown	9	Walnut	None	Easy
Tan	10	Oak bark	Alum	Easy
Purple	11	Madder + indigo	Alum + vat	Hard
Black	12	Oak gall + iron	Iron	Hard

Tips for Reproducibility

1. Weigh everything — Eyeballing quantities guarantees inconsistent results. Use a balance or improvised scale.
2. Use the same water source — Water hardness (mineral content) significantly affects dye colors. Hard water dulls some dyes; soft water brightens them.
3. Dry dye materials for storage — Fresh plants vary enormously in dye concentration. Drying standardizes potency somewhat and allows year-round use.
4. Exhaust the bath — After removing the first batch, the remaining dye bath produces progressively lighter shades. Use it for pastel versions of the same color — nothing wasted.
5. Keep a sample book — Attach a small piece of dyed fiber to each recipe record. Samples don’t lie, and they track lightfastness over time.