Natural dyeing in practice.

Natural dyeing is a radical craft in an industry built on speed. It means working at the pace of the plants, slowly and often unpredictably.

The palette

Where color comes from.

Natural color comes from roots, bark, wood, stems, leaves, flowers, berries, hulls, husks, pits, cones, galls, lichens, insects and minerals. These sources can be grouped into the following six color families.

Reds & Russets.

Naphthoquinone + anthraquinone dyes

Madder · henna · lac

The oldest reds in the textile record. Madder root gives a spectrum from brick to deep rose depending on mordant and pH; henna pulls toward warm, reddish-browns and terracotta. Lac is secreted by the insect Kerria lacca. Historically the dominant red across South and Southeast Asia, it shares the anthraquinone chemistry of madder but gives a warmer, deeper tone. These dyes bond tenaciously; many survive centuries in museum textiles.

Yellows.

Flavonoid + carotenoid dyes

Weld · onion skins · marigold · dyer's chamomile

Yellow is the most abundant color in the natural world, and in the dye palette it is also the most reliable when mordanted well. Weld, cultivated across Europe since antiquity, gives the clearest and most lightfast yellow in the family. Onion skins, saved from the kitchen, mordant easily and give excellent results. Carotenoid yellows like marigold are vivid when fresh but fade faster, beautiful for work that is not meant to last forever.

Blues.

Indigotin

Indigo · woad

The exception in natural dyeing: blue does not come from a dye bath but from a reduction vat. In the vat, indigotin becomes temporarily soluble and turns yellow. It enters the fiber and re-oxidizes back to blue when exposed to air. This molecule surfaces in plants on every inhabited continent: in tropical indigofera, in European woad, in Japanese persicaria. Indigotin evolved independently across unrelated plant families.

Purples & Pinks.

Anthocyanins + hematoxylin + carminic acid

Elderberry · hollyhock · logwood · cochineal

Anthocyanin purples from berries and flowers shift visibly with pH: acid pulls them pink, alkali pushes them blue-grey. They are also among the least lightfast dyes in the palette. Logwood and cochineal are a different matter. Logwood gives a range from violet to near-black depending on mordant; cochineal, one of the most lightfast dyes known, yields exceptional crimsons and pinks.

Browns & Beiges.

Tannins + juglone

Oak gall · pomegranate · walnut · black tea · sumac

Tannins are everywhere, in bark, seed cases, leaves, fruit skin. They bond to cellulose without a metal mordant. Iron deepens the color considerably, while also shifting it toward greys, from soft to near-black. Walnut sits slightly apart: its main colorant is juglone rather than a tannin, a compound which also doesn't require a mordant and dyes in the same register.

Greens.

Overdye + iron modifier

Weld + indigo · onion + iron · weld + iron

Green is the color of almost every plant, and yet one of the hardest colors to achieve on fibers. Chlorophyll can be extracted but breaks down within days. The only lasting greens must be made by layering yellow over blue or by shifting a yellow with an iron modifier. Weld over indigo gives a clear spring green; chamomile or marigold over indigo goes more olive. Iron on yellow gives khaki through to dark moss.

The process

From raw fiber to finished dyed cloth.

Natural dyeing usually follows five steps. The care and attention put into each one affects how the finished color looks and how long it lasts.

01

Scouring.

Natural colors can only be applied to natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, silk and wool. Synthetic fibers like polyester or nylon will not take up natural dyes.

Before dyeing can begin, all natural fibers have to be scoured: stripped of all protective substances, natural or added. These substances might block the intake of color, which is why it is important to clean the fibers before dyeing.

Each type of fiber calls for a different scouring method. Careless scouring can cause felting or loss of luster.

Time2 – 4 hours, depending on fiber

Scouring fibers before natural dyeing
02

Mordanting.

A mordant is a metal compound that allows dyes to form a chemical bond with fibers. It is applied to fibers after scouring and before dyeing.

There are different compounds that can be used as mordants. At Kaliko, I mostly work with aluminum and iron compounds, using cold mordanting processes. Aluminum makes colors more vibrant; iron makes them more muted. Just like scouring, the mordanting method depends on the type of fiber.

Not all natural dyeing processes require a mordant, but most do.

TimeOvernight soak, typically

Mordanting fibers with alum
03

Extraction.

Natural dyes have to be extracted in order to make a dye bath. Extraction time and temperature vary depending on the source material: most plants are simmered at high temperature, while others need to soak for days. The harder and more dense the plant material, the more time and heat it typically requires. Once the dye is dissolved in water, mordanted fibers can be placed in the dye bath to absorb the color.

Not every plant can be used as a source of color. The quality of the dye is a spectrum, and experience plays the biggest role in the choice of dye plant. For lasting color, a dyer has to work with carefully selected, reliable dye sources.

Time1 hour – several days

Extracting natural dye from plant material
04

Dyeing.

Just like extracting, dyeing also requires heat and/or time for a successful and lasting color intake. A dyer can also use natural substances to modify the final color, for example by changing the pH of the bath. For the most uniform color, fibers have to be regularly stirred and manually moved in the dye bath.

There are different dyeing processes, each giving different results: immersion dyeing for even, all-over color; bundle dyeing for surface marks; tie dye for resist patterns; and painting directly on the cloth. Some techniques omit dissolving the dye in water entirely, using hot steam instead. Other methods allow extracting and dyeing at the same time, in one bath. The choice of process depends on the effect you want to achieve.

Time45 min – 2 hours in bath

Dyeing cloth in a natural dye bath
05

Finishing.

Properly mordanted and dyed fibers are lightfast and wash-fast. Because the color forms a chemical bond with the fiber during the dyeing process, it does not need to be fixed afterwards. Natural dyed pieces will not fade considerably in regular use, though natural colors still require some care.

Hand-wash in cool or lukewarm water using a natural, pH-neutral soap such as wool wash. Air dry in the shade and store away from direct sunlight.

Natural dyes are living colors and will change slightly over time, developing a patina. This is part of the natural maturing of the color.

CareCool water · pH-neutral soap · dry in shade

Finished naturally dyed cloth

Frequently asked

Questions worth answering.

A crash course in the most common questions and misconceptions about natural dyeing.

What exactly is natural dyeing?

Natural dyeing is the practice of coloring cloth and yarn with dyes from plants, insects and minerals. Done properly, the colors are biodegradable, non-toxic and lightfast. The process is slower and more variable than industrial dyeing, which is part of the appeal and part of the limit.

What fibers can be dyed?

Natural fibers only: cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool and other plant or animal-based fibers. Synthetic fibers will not take up natural dyes. Cellulose fibers like cotton and linen call for different mordanting recipes than animal fibers like wool or silk, but done properly they dye just as permanently. One thing worth knowing: if the fabric is natural but the stitching thread is polyester, the thread will stay undyed.

Are natural dyes lightfast and washable?

Well-mordanted natural dyes hold up to washing and wear. Not every dye plant is equal: madder, indigo, weld, cochineal and walnut are all documented as lightfast and wash-fast across centuries of use. Colors will shift slowly with age, which is a patina, not a fade. Handwashing with cool water, pH-neutral soap and shade-drying extends the life of the color considerably.

What is a mordant, and why?

A mordant is a metal salt that binds plant color to fiber. Without it, most plant dyes don't form a chemical bond with fibers and eventually fade or wash out. Aluminum keeps colors clear and vivid; iron makes them more muted. Choosing a mordant is already a color choice, and the same dye will read very differently depending on which one is used.

Can natural dyes match brand colors?

Not exactly, and not reliably. Every dye bath is a little different, and plant dye is better suited to developing a palette through sampling than to hitting a single fixed reference. For commission work, I start with a direction and refine through dye tests on your fabric rather than matching a Pantone swatch. Brands working with natural dye get something richer: a palette with depth and variation.

Do natural dye results repeat exactly?

No. The same dye produces a different shade on every fiber, and fabric construction adds another variable on top of that. The plant itself may vary with soil, season, and growing conditions. Natural dyeing works with living material, and living material does not repeat exactly. Each batch carries something of the conditions it was made in.

Is natural dyeing truly sustainable?

Mostly, at small-batch scale. Natural dyes are biodegradable and free from petrochemicals, but not every mordant is harmless and water use is substantial. Not every dye plant is locally grown either. At studio scale, natural dyeing is meaningfully lower impact than conventional textile dyeing but it is not a solution to fast fashion.

Do you work with fashion brands?

Yes. Kaliko takes on commissions, capsule collections, brand activations and sample work for fashion, textile and interior brands, designers and artists. See services for details on what each type of engagement looks like, or email hello@kaliko.co to open a conversation.

How do I start dyeing at home?

Begin with onion skins or avocado pits. Both bond to fiber quite well without a mordant. From there, a basic aluminum mordant opens up most other dye plants. The library has free tutorials, plant portraits and natural-dye references. For a more structured start, the full beginner's guide is available as a downloadable ebook.

Can all plant dyes be made permanent?

No. Even with the most careful mordanting, you cannot make an unstable dye last. Color longevity is a spectrum: some plants are documented as lightfast across centuries of use, others fade within weeks. Some plants, like beetroot, do not dye at all in the technical sense — they stain, and will always wash out. Choose the plant based on what you need the color to do.

Can vinegar or salt fix dye?

No, though both are unfortunately widely recommended in beginner tutorials. The vinegar myth comes from acid dyeing, where it fixes synthetic dyes on protein fibers, but the chemistry does not transfer to natural dyeing. Salt is recommended because mordants are chemically known as "metal salts", but table salt has no mordanting effect. Colors dyed without a proper mordant will fade or wash out.

Are natural dyes safe to use?

Generally yes, though not without caveats. Most plant dye baths are low-risk and wastewater can go down the drain, but some dye plants are toxic and mordants vary. All should be handled with care. Work in a ventilated space, wear gloves, avoid inhaling powders, and keep all dye tools separate from your kitchen. Keep the ingredients away from children and pets.

For home dyers

Learn the craft.

Free tutorials, plant portraits and natural-dye references in the library. Downloadable ebooks for a structured beginner's guide and deeper reference material.

Visit the library Browse ebooks

For fashion brands and designers

Commission the studio.

Small-batch hand-dyed fabric, capsule collections, brand activations and sample work for fashion, interior design and art projects — from a Berlin studio, with plant-based color only.

See services Email the studio