How to Get Purple and Brown Shades from Plant Dyes

Plant dyes give a wonderful range of natural colors, and with the right technique you can get beautiful purples and browns. Purples usually come from a red dye combined with iron, and browns from tannin-rich dyes. Here is how to get them with two of our favorite dyes: acorn extract and madder root.

Browns, grays and purples with acorn extract

The acorn is the fruit of oak trees (Quercus species), which are native to the Northern Hemisphere, with over 500 species. Acorn tannin has good wash and light fastness. Acorn extract can be used as a dye for ginger browns and soft purple-browns, or as a tannin before alum mordanting.

It is a very beginner-friendly dye: because it is rich in tannin, it gives beautiful colors even without a mordant. If you are just starting with plant dyes, acorn extract is a great first choice.

How to dye with acorn extract

1. Scour the fabric first. See how to prepare fabric for natural dyeing.
2. Use at least 20 g of acorn extract for 100 g of fabric (20% WOF). It works in cold, hot and all-in-one dye baths.
3. Pour boiling water over the powder and let it cool overnight.
4. The next day, bring the dye bath to a gentle simmer, add the wet fabric and simmer gently for an hour.
5. Leave it in the bath for several hours or overnight, stirring now and then. The longer it stays, the deeper the color, so check it often.

For charcoal grays and darker browns, give the dyed fabric a short dip in a weak iron (ferrous sulfate) solution.

Using acorn as a tannin

Use 10 g of acorn extract for 100 g of fabric (10% WOF). Pour boiling water over the powder and let it cool overnight. The next day, heat the tannin bath to a gentle simmer, add the fabric and enough hot water to cover it, and leave it for several hours or overnight. Follow with an alum mordant, and a second tannin soak if you like. See how to mordant cotton and linen.

Purples and mauves with madder root

Madder is famous for reds, but with iron it gives mauves, plums and purples.

1. Scour the fabric, then mordant it with iron (about 2% WOF ferrous sulfate) for mauves and purples.
2. Use 100 g of madder root powder for about 100 g of fabric for strong tones.
3. Cover the powder with hot tap water, with enough room for the fabric to move freely. Heat to 60–70 °C (140–160 °F) and hold for an hour.
4. Add the wet fabric and keep the bath at 60–70 °C for another hour. Higher temperatures give browner, duller colors.
5. Let it cool in the bath for several hours or overnight, stirring now and then. If the shade is not deep enough, reheat and cool again.

The dye bath can often be used for a second, and even a third, batch in paler shades: just reheat it and add more fabric. For the full recipe, see how to dye purple and mauve with madder.

More dyes for purples and browns

• Browns: black walnut, red pine bark and oak galls with iron.
• Purples and grays: sumac with iron, or avocado with iron.

Shop: Natural brown and black dyes · Natural red dyes · Alum and iron mordants