Madder Dye Kit Instructions: Red Shades on Cotton
These are the instructions for our madder dye kit, which dyes 100 g of cotton or linen fabric in rich madder reds. Cotton needs a tannin and alum mordant before madder, so the process takes a few days. Read all the steps before you begin and plan your time.
What is in the kit (for 100 g of fabric)
- 20 g soda ash (sodium carbonate) for scouring
- 10 g oak gall powder (tannin)
- 15 g alum (potassium aluminum sulfate)
- 2 g soda ash for mordanting
- 100 g madder root powder
You will also need 100 g of undyed cotton or linen fabric, such as any fabric from our undyed fabric by the meter collection.
Equipment you will need
- A well-ventilated space and a heat source you can control
- A thermometer that reads up to 100 °C (212 °F)
- A large stainless steel or enamel pot with a lid, used only for dyeing (never for food again)
- A plastic bucket
- Two glass jars with lids
- Tongs or a wooden spoon
- Protective gloves, and a dust mask (optional) when handling powders
Before you start
You will scour the fabric to clean it, treat it with oak gall tannin, mordant it with alum and soda ash so the dye becomes permanent, and finally dye it in madder. Natural does not mean harmless, so follow the safety notes, wear gloves, and wash all equipment between stages.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Scour the fabric
Scouring removes oils, starch and other residues from manufacturing, so the dye takes evenly. Simmer the fabric for 90 minutes in the dye pot with 20 g of soda ash (sodium carbonate), then rinse well. Or wash it on the hottest washing machine cycle (at least 90 °C / 190 °F) with the soda ash in the drum. Wear gloves to wring it out. You can dry the fabric and label it "scoured" for later, or continue straight away.
Step 2: Treat the fabric with tannin
Put the oak gall powder in a bucket, pour boiling water over it and stir to release the tannin. Add enough hot tap water to cover the fabric with room to stir. Add the wet fabric, cover, and leave it overnight, stirring now and then. Wrapping the bucket in a towel keeps the bath warm for longer. Wring the fabric out well. Keep the tannin liquid in a cool place if you want to give the fabric a second tannin soak later; this can improve dye uptake. Read more in our oak gall tannin guide.
Step 3: Mordant with alum
Wearing gloves, dissolve the 15 g of alum and the 2 g of soda ash separately in a little boiling water, for example in two glass jars. Fill a container large enough for the fabric with hot tap water, then carefully add both solutions. The mixture will fizz. Stir, add the damp tannin-treated fabric and leave it for several hours or overnight, stirring now and then. Wring it out well. You can give the fabric a second soak in the saved tannin liquid now if you wish. Then dye straight away, or dry the fabric and wet it again when you are ready. See our guide to mordanting cotton and linen for more detail.
Step 4: Make the dye bath
Put the madder powder in the pot and cover it with plenty of hot tap water. Heat the bath to 60–70 °C (140–160 °F) and hold it there for one hour. Do not let it get hotter, or the colors will turn brown and dull.
Step 5: Dye the fabric
Add the fabric to the dye bath and keep it at 60–70 °C (140–160 °F) for another hour. Then turn off the heat and let the fabric cool in the bath for several hours or overnight, stirring now and then.
Wring the fabric out well and hang it to dry out of direct sunlight. Once dry, brush or rub it gently to remove any loose madder powder. Wait two to three days before washing.
Washing
Hand wash the dyed fabric with a pH-neutral detergent and rinse well. Some color will come out in the first wash; this is normal. Press with a hot iron.
Want different shades?
Use the leftover dye bath for paler pinks, dip dyed fabric in a weak citric acid solution for orange tones, or try our madder recipe for purples and mauves.
Related: Everything to know about madder · Natural dye kits · Shop natural red dyes