How to Dye Fabric with Natural Dye Extracts
Natural dye extracts are concentrated powders made from dye plants. They give the same colors as raw roots, leaves or peels, but you need only a small amount, they dissolve completely and there is nothing to strain out of the pot. This guide shows you how to dye fabric with natural extracts, step by step.
Why use natural dye extracts?
- Small amounts: usually 2–10% WOF (weight of fiber) instead of 50–100% for raw dyes.
- Even color: extracts dissolve fully, so there are no plant particles to cause spots.
- Easy to store and measure: they keep for years in a dry, closed container.
- Versatile: ideal for dye baths, printing, painting, eco printing and mixing colors.
Our natural dye extracts include madder (red), weld (yellow), buckthorn (yellow to orange), indigo (blue), acorn and red pine bark (browns).
Which fabrics work best?
Natural fibers: cotton, linen, hemp, wool and silk. Synthetic fibers such as polyester will not take natural dyes. Choose fabric that is undyed and free of coatings, such as our undyed fabric by the meter.
How to dye fabric with natural extracts
Step 1: Scour the fabric
Wash the fabric thoroughly to remove oils, starch and finishes. Cotton and linen should be simmered with soda ash. See how to prepare fabric for natural dyeing.
Step 2: Mordant the fabric
Most extracts need a mordant so the color lasts. Indigo is the exception: it is dyed in a vat and needs no mordant.
- Wool and silk: 10–15% WOF alum with 5–7% WOF cream of tartar, heated gently to about 80 °C (180 °F) for wool or 70 °C (160 °F) for silk. See mordanting wool and silk.
- Cotton and linen: a tannin bath (8–10% WOF), then 15% WOF alum with 2% soda ash. See mordanting cotton and linen.
Step 3: Dissolve the extract
Weigh the extract: 2–5% WOF for light to medium shades, 5–10% WOF for deep shades. For 100 g of fabric, that is 2–10 g. Mix it into a smooth paste with a little hot water, then add more hot water until it is fully dissolved.
Step 4: Dye
Fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with enough warm water for the fabric to move freely, and stir in the dissolved extract. Add the wet, mordanted fabric. Heat slowly and hold the bath at the right temperature for 45–60 minutes, moving the fabric gently:
- Madder: 60–70 °C (140–160 °F), never hotter, for bright reds
- Weld: 70–80 °C (160–175 °F)
- Most other extracts: 80–85 °C (175–185 °F), without boiling
Then turn off the heat and let the fabric cool in the bath for deeper color.
Step 5: Rinse, wash and dry
Rinse until the water runs clear, wash with a pH-neutral soap and dry in the shade. Colors look darker when wet and lighten a little when dry.
Tips for better results
- Always test on a small sample first and keep notes of amounts, times and temperatures.
- Use separate pots and tools for dyeing, and keep iron tools apart from everything else.
- For darker shades, add more extract or dye a second time rather than boiling.
- Change colors with modifiers: a little iron darkens and cools colors, and acid or alkaline rinses shift some dyes. See dye assists and modifiers.
- Mix extracts for new colors, or overdye: weld over indigo gives green.
Frequently asked questions
How much natural dye extract do I need?
Usually 2–10% of the dry weight of the fabric, depending on the extract and the depth of color you want.
Can I use extracts for eco printing?
Yes. Extracts are great for coloring the "blanket" fabric in eco printing and for painting or printing on mordanted fabric.
Are extracts as colorfast as raw dyes?
Yes. They contain the same coloring compounds, so fastness is the same when the fabric is mordanted properly.
Related: Natural dyes: complete guide · 12 natural dyes for fabric · Natural dye kits