12 Natural Dyes for Fabric and the Colors They Give
Looking for natural dyes for fabric? Here are 12 plant-based dyes you can use to color cotton, linen, wool and silk, and the colors each one gives. All of them are available from themazi as raw powders, whole dyestuffs or concentrated extracts. New to natural dyeing? Start with our complete guide to natural dyes.
What makes dyeing eco-friendly?
Eco-friendly dyeing comes down to two things: safer ingredients, meaning plant dyes and simple mordants such as alum and iron instead of synthetic dyes and heavy metals, and responsible sourcing. Many of our dyes are traditional dye plants of Anatolia. We buy them from local growers and collectors, which helps rural communities earn a living from the plants on their land, and several of our dyes, such as onion skins, pomegranate peel and pine bark, are by-products that would otherwise be wasted.
12 natural dyes for fabric and the colors they give
Reds and pinks
Madder (Rubia tinctorum)
Madder is a perennial plant whose long roots are the classic source of natural red. Depending on the mordant and method, it gives reds, corals, pinks, oranges and, with iron, purples. It is also available as a concentrated madder extract. Read how to dye with madder.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)
A thistle-like plant with yellow-orange flowers. Its petals contain both a yellow dye and a rare pink-red dye, so with the right method you can get bright yellows, pinks, corals and reds. See how to dye with safflower.
Yellows and oranges
Weld (Reseda luteola)
Also called dyer's rocket or dyer's weed, weld gives the clearest, most lightfast natural yellows. Overdye it with indigo for greens. It is also available as weld extract. See our weld dye recipes.
Buckthorn (Rhamnus petiolaris)
Anatolian buckthorn berries, also known as Persian berries, give warm yellows, orange-yellows and mustards, and greens and khakis with iron. Available as whole seeds, powder and extract.
Onion skins (Allium cepa)
The dry outer skins of onions give golden yellows, oranges and rusty browns, and olive greens with iron. A great free or low-cost dye for beginners. Read how to dye with onion skins.
Pomegranate peel (Punica granatum)
Pomegranate peel is rich in tannin and gives golden yellows, beiges and tans, and khaki and olive greens with iron. It can also be used as a tannin for cotton and linen.
Blues
Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria)
Indigo comes from the leaves of a shrub native to South Asia and gives every blue from pale sky to deep navy. It does not need a mordant but is dyed in a special vat. Read our indigo vat guide.
Browns, grays and blacks
Black walnut hulls (Juglans nigra)
Walnut hulls are so rich in tannin that they dye without a mordant, giving warm browns. A mordant or iron afterbath gives darker browns and near-blacks.
Acorn (Quercus spp.)
Acorn extract is a tannin with good light and wash fastness. Use it for gingery browns or as a tannin before alum on cotton and linen.
Red pine bark (Pinus brutia)
A tannin extract that gives beiges, pinkish browns and warm browns. Ours is a by-product of the Turkish forestry industry.
Tannins for cotton and linen
Oak galls (Quercus infectoria)
Aleppo oak galls are one of the richest natural tannins. They give little color themselves, but prepare cotton and linen for alum so other dyes give sharp, deep colors. With iron they give grays and blacks. Available as green and white oak gall powder and whole galls. Read our oak gall tannin guide.
Sumac (Rhus coriaria)
Sicilian or tanner's sumac leaves have long been used to tan leather. As a dye they give soft yellows and beiges, and grays and purples with iron. As a clear tannin they keep colors bright on cotton and linen.
How to use these dyes
Most of these dyes need a mordant to last: alum for wool and silk, or tannin and alum for cotton and linen. Read our guide to mordants, or start with a natural dye kit.
Shop: Raw natural dyes · Natural dye extracts · Natural tannins · All natural dyes