How to Mordant before Natural Dyeing

Natural Dye, Mordanting, Plant Dye, Mordant

Many know or refer to mordants as natural dye fixatives. I’m here to tell you all a secret… mordanting doesn’t have to be difficult, confusing or scary. I am going to show you how to mordant in a few easy to follow steps.

When it comes to natural dyeing, mordanting is the key to stronger, longer lasting colors. However, it should be mentioned that some plants will not make dyes that are colorfast or lightfast regardless of how well the fiber is mordanted. Plants such as beets, cabbage and berries are not good plants to use for dyeing if you’re hoping to achieve long lasting colors.

In this post, I’m going to teach you how to mordant. I will share my favorite method for mordanting cellulose fibers. It is a two step, cold morndating process that uses tannin as an assist and an aluminum salt, aluminum acetate, as the mordant.

Why Mordanting is Important and How it Works

When dyeing fiber, the goal is that the dye particles will create a strong bond with the fiber. However, dye particles will not create a strong bond with cellulose fibers on there own. They need a little help from their friends, mordants and assists.

The way to create a strong bond between fiber and dye is to soak fibers in a tannin bath before soaking them in an aluminum salt bath. The tannin bath is an important step because aluminum salts don’t readily bond to cellulose fibers but tannins will.

First, the tannins form a weak bond with the cellulose fibers then the aluminum salts bind with the tannins. When the tannin and aluminum acetate form a bond they become stable and insoluble and are fixed into your fiber.

When a mordanted piece of fiber is placed into a dye bath, the dye particles bond with the mordant creating another stable, insoluble bond between the dye and mordant.

A note before beginning

Mordanting isn’t difficult but it does take around 5 hours to complete from start to finish. You will want to choose a day where you have time to complete the entire process. It may seem appealing to soak the fibers in tannin on one day and then finish the process with the aluminum acetate soak on another day. However, because tannin only forms a weak bond with cellulose fibers, the process of re-wetting the fiber before the aluminum acetate bath may damage some of the tannin bonds.

Supplies

  • Two buckets or stainless steel pots
  • Tannin (I use gallnut)
  • Aluminum Acetate (this is the aluminum salt)
  • Scale
  • Thermometer for liquids (a candy thermometer works well)
  • Long handled spoon
  • Small spoon
  • Jar or small bowl
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Water
  • Fiber

Note on choosing the size of the pot or bucket

You will want to choose the vessel depending on the amount of fiber you will be mordanting. Your fiber should have plenty of room to move freely. If the fiber is squished into the vessel, it is likely that you will have uneven results.

Step 1 – Preparing Fiber for Mordanting

The first step is to scour your fiber. Check out this blog post for instructions on how to scour.

If you’ve already scoured, skip ahead to step 2.

Step 2

Weigh your dried fiber to determine your weight of fiber (WOF). You may have already done this before scouring. However, if you’re going to mordant a different amount of fiber than you scoured, you will need to weigh it again to determine your new WOF.

Step 3

Wet out the fiber by placing it in water to soak. This can be done in a bowl, pot or sink.

Step 4

Measure out the amount of tannin you will be using based upon your WOF. When using gallnut, I use 10% WOF (e.g. if the WOF is 100 grams, you will need 10 grams of gallnut).

Here’s a simple formula to determine the amount of tannin to use:
WOF x .10 = amount of tannin to use

Step 5

Mordanting, natural dyeing, natural dye, tannin mordant

Completely dissolve tannin in warm water. I like to dissolve the tannin in a jar with of water before adding it to the large bucket I will be mordanting in. Mixing in the jar first allows me to really be able to see if the tannin is completely dissolved.

Step 6

Fill a bucket or pot with warm water. The ideal water temperature is between 110-120 degrees F. It’s okay if the water is a bit cooler than 110 degrees F but it shouldn’t be any hotter than 120 degrees F. If the water is cooler than 110 degrees F, the fiber will need to soak for a bit longer than the recommended 2 hours.

Step 7

mordanting, preparing fiber for natural dyeing, natural dye, mordant

Add pre-dissolved tannin to the vessel of warm water and stir well to incorporate. Now you have a tannin bath that is ready for fiber!

Step 8

Wring excess water out from fiber and add damp fiber to the tannin bath. Use a spoon to push the fibers into the bath and push air bubbles out until the fiber is completely submerged.

Allow the fibers to soak for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure that the tannin will be evenly bonded onto the fiber.

The tannin bath will cool to room temperature during this process. That is completely okay and to be expected.

Note on Soaking Time

I’ve experimented with soaking fibers for much longer periods of time. I used to soak my fibers in tannin for 12-24 hours. However, I began soaking them for less and less time and found that the shorter soaks were more easy to attend to and gave better (more even) results.

Step 9

After the fibers have soaked in tannin for 2 hours, remove them and squeeze the excess water back into the tannin bath before giving them a gentle rinse.

Remember that the tannin does bond with cellulose fiber but the bonds are weak. Vigorous rinsing may damage some of the bonds.

Set the fibers aside while you prepare the aluminum acetate bath.

Step 10

The process for making the aluminum acetate bath is identical to making the tannin bath. However, aluminum acetate is an extremely fine powder that isn’t safe to inhale. To avoid breathing it in, you may want to wear a mask during the measuring and mixing.

It’s also best practice to wear rubber gloves while working with aluminum acetate to avoid skin exposure.

First, measure out the aluminum acetate based on your WOF. You will need 10% WOF. Then completely dissolve the aluminum acetate in a jar of warm water (no hotter than 120 degrees F). The aluminum acetate will be lumpy but keep stirring, it will eventually dissolve.

Fill your second bucket or pot with warm water (between 110-120 degrees F) and add the dissolved aluminum acetate. Stir well to incorporate.

Now you have a aluminum acetate bath that’s ready for fiber!

Step 11

Mordanting cotton before naturally dyeing

Squeeze excess water from the fiber and add them to the aluminum acetate bath. Use a spoon to push out air bubbles until the fiber is completely submerged.

Allow the fiber to soak for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. This bath will also drop in temperature which is perfectly okay.

Step 12

When the fiber has soaked for 1-2 hours, remove from the aluminum acetate bath and squeeze excess water back into the bath.

Now the tannin and aluminum acetate have come together and formed that stable insoluble bond that I mentioned earlier. The mordant is now fixed into your fiber! Hurray!

Step 13

Now the mordanted fibers should be rinsed thoroughly to remove any excess aluminum acetate that is not bonded.

If the excess, unbonded aluminum acetate isn’t rinsed from the fiber, it will float off when the fiber is placed into a dye bath and attach with the dye particles before the dye particles are able to attach to the mordanted fiber. This will leave less available dye particles in the dye bath.

After rinsed, the fibers can be placed in a dye bath immediately or dried and saved to dye at a later time.

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course:

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers

How to Scour Cellulose Fiber Before Natural Dyeing

how to scour, natural dyes

Scouring is the process of removing sizing, wax, grease and dirt from fiber by soaking it in a heated bath of water, a combination of detergents and white vinegar. In this tutorial, I will show you how to scour in a few easy steps.

Scouring is one of the most important steps to natural dyeing because it allows the dye to penetrate the fabric more easily and evenly.

Scouring fabric before naturally dyeing

What you need:

Stainless steel pot
Soda Ash
Synthrapol
White Vinegar
Spoon for stirring
Heat Source
Water

Step 1

Weigh your dry fiber and take a photo or write the weight down. You will need to know our weight of fiber (WOF) throughout the scouring, mordanting and dyeing process.

Step 2

how to scour before natural dye

Fill a stainless steel pot with enough water so that the fiber can move freely. Place the pot of water on a burner and turn heat on medium-high.

Step 3

Measure 1% WOF soda ash & 1% WOF synthrapol.

Add the synthrapol and soda ash to the water.

Soda ash has a high pH that ranges from 11.3 – 11.8.

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A note on the importance of vinegar while scouring

If you are planning to mordant your fiber using the tannin and aluminum acetate method I share. it is important that your fiber is neutralized before entering into the tannin bath. If the fiber has a high pH when entered into the tannin bath, it will cause the tannin to shift to a much darker color.

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Step 4

Stir well to fully dissolve and incorporate the soda ash, synthrapol into the dye bath.

Step 5

How to scour cellulose fiber

Turn the heat up to bring water to a simmer. Add the fiber and press down into the water until it is completely submerged. Allow the fiber to simmer in the scour bath for at least an hour.

Stir occasionally, being sure that all of the fiber stays submerged.

You should begin to notice that the water is turning a yellowish color.

Step 6

Remove the pot from the heat source and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove fibers and rinse very well.

I like to run my freshly scoured fiber through a complete wash cycle without any detergent.

Step 7

Fill a pot or bowl with water (the temperature isn’t important) and add vinegar, about 2 Tablespoons per half pound of fabric. Stir to incorporate then add the rinsed scoured fabric and allow it to sit in the bath for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Scouring cellulose fiber before naturally dyeing

Once rinsed, scoured fabric can be immediately added to a mordant bath or dried to use later. Click here to learn how to mordant!

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers

How to Natural Dye with Avocados

natural dye, avocado dye, plant dye

It’s hard to imagine that avocados could get any better… until you learn that you can dye with them! Both avocado skins and stones (pits) can be used to make dye that ranges in colors from tans to peach to pink to rust. Greyish lavender tones can also be made by dipping avocado dyed fiber into an iron water after bath. In this tutorial, I will show you how to dye with avocados.

Supplies

  • Aluminum or stainless steel dye pot (a pot should not be used for food after it has been used for dye)
  • Bowl or additional pot
  • Clean avocado stones or skins (fresh, frozen or dried)
  • Water
  • Spoon
  • Sieve
  • Cheese cloth or cotton muslin
  • Fiber that has been scoured and mordanted or pretreated with soy milk

Check out my post about pre-treating fabric with soy milk.

Step 1

Place avocado skins or stones into a pot and cover them with water. The amount of stones or skins that should be used depends on the depth of color you are trying to achieve. For a medium adult t-shirt, I use 3-4 stones or around 10 skins for a light to medium pink. Less stones or skins will give a lighter color and more will give a deeper color.

Step 2

How to dye with avocados

Heat the stones or skins on a low temperature for 1-2 hours. You might be tempted to turn up the heat to get faster results. However, heating avocado dye at a higher temperature causes the color to shift from pink to orange/brown. You should notice that color is beginning to be released into the water after 15-30 minutes of gentle heating.

Step 3

How to dye with avocados

Turn the heat off and allow the dye to rest for at least a couple of hours. I like to let mine sit over night. I sometimes choose to reheat them at a low temperature one more time if I feel that the color is not as deep as I would like it to be.

Step 4

How to dye with avocados

Now the dye is ready to be separated from the stones or skins. Line the mesh strainer with either a double layer of cheese cloth or cotton muslin and pour set it on another bowl or pot. Pour the dye through the cloth lined strainer. The strainer should catch all of the solids and the resulting liquid should be clear and free of debris. I like to squeeze the solid to get every last drop of dye out. The solids can then be saved to use in another dye pot or composted.

Step 5

Wipe out or wash out your dye pot to be sure that it is free of debris. Then pour the dye back in.

Step 6

Natural Dye using avocados

Wet out your fiber by soaking it in water for at least 30 minutes.

Step 7

Add water to avocado dye so that your fiber or fabric will have enough room to freely move around while remaining covered by dye. You might worry that adding water will weaken the dye. However, the same amount of dye particles will remain in the dye regardless of how much water is added. It might take a little longer for the dye particles to find your fiber but they eventually will.

Step 8

Squeeze out the excess water and place your fiber into the dye. Give it a good stir and make sure that all of the air bubbles have been pushed out so it can sink under the dye.

Step 9

Heat the dye and fiber or fabric on a low heat for around an hour, stirring and checking the color frequently. Stirring often helps reduce the chance that the fabric will be dyed unevenly.

To shift the color to a deeper, rusty tone, add a few teaspoons of baking soda to the dye and stir well to dissolve.

Step 10

How to dye with avocados

Remove the fabric from the dye and squeeze out as much of the excess dye as possible. If you’re satisfied with the color, you can wash your fabric with a gentle detergent and hang to dry or in the dryer according to your fabric’s care instructions.

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers

How to Dye with Acorns

natural dye, plant dye, acorn dye

You may have noticed that your local oak trees have begun to grow heavy with acorns. The coming of acorns always makes me feel glee. They signify that summer is coming to and end and cooler autumn days are on the way. In this tutorial, I will show you how to dye with acorns.

How to dye with acorns, natural dye with acorns

Acorns make a potent dye that is easy to create and use. It is a great dye for those who are new to natural dyeing. A range of colors from tans to browns and greys to blacks can all be achieved with acorns.

Any type of acorn can be used to create dye. I used a combination of four different varieties for this tutorial. The amount of acorns used is also very flexible. The more that are used, the darker the dye will be. I used about one pound for this tutorial.

Supplies:

  • Stainless steel or aluminum pot
  • Acorns
  • Fine Mesh Strainer
  • Cheese Cloth or Muslin
  • Large Bowl or a second pot
  • Mordanted fiber
  • Iron water (optional)

Check out this post if you’d like to learn more about pre-treating fabric with soy or click here for a mordanting tutorial.

Step 1

Place acorns in a pot and cover with water. Cover with lid and heat on high until the water begins to boil. Boil for an hour. Then, let the mixture rest for a couple of hours. Check the color. If you are satisfied, you can move on to step two. If you would like a darker dye, bring the mixture to a boil again. Continue to boil the mixture until the dye reaches the depth of color you are looking for.

I usually boil acorn dye on and off for around 24 hours, checking the water level frequently to be sure the acorns are still covered. However, you can check the color as you go and stop heating when you’re satisfied with the color.

Step 2

Line a strainer with double layered cheese cloth or muslin. Lay the strainer over a bowl or pot and pour the dye through the strainer so that all of the solids are caught in the strainer.

At this point, you can compost the acorns or use them to make a second dye bath that can be added to the first.

Note, in the photo above, I did not line my strainer with cloth. I found that this let too much sediment through and ended up re-straining it through cloth.

Step 3

Wipe out or rinse the dye pot so that there are no little bits or solids left. Then, pour the dye back into the pot.

Step 4

Add the damp fiber you wish to dye. Then, Simmer on medium-high heat for 1-12 hours, stirring checking the color frequently.

The amount of time the fabric needs to dye is dependent upon the depth of color you are trying to achieve.

Always remember that the fiber will be about three shades lighter after it is rinsed and dried.

Note, some of the photos above show that there are acorns in the pot as I’m checking the color of the fabric. When testing a dye, I do often leave the dye stuff in the pot with the fabric. However, I don’t recommend this method as it usually creates uneven results on the fabric.

Step 5

Once you are satisfied with the color, remove the fiber and wring out as much excess dye as possible. Allow it to dry out of direct sunlight.

I like to let my fabric dry then sit and cure for a few days before rinsing it. However, it can also be rinsed and used immediately after being dyed.

Step 6 (optional)

This step is optional and is only necessary if you would like to shift the colors from tans/browns to greys/blacks.

In order to shift the colors, the fiber will need to be dipped in iron water. Iron water can be made by soaking rusty metal in water for a few days until the water becomes the color of iron or by dissolving some ferrous sulfate crystals in water.

I like to start with a weak iron water solution and add more if needed. Iron water should be made in a glass, plastic or stainless steel vessel.

Fill the vessel about 2/3 of the way full with warm water and mix in 1/2 tsp of ferrous sulfate. Stir until the crystals have dissolved. The water should change to a rust color within seconds. Then, place the damp fabric in the iron water and swoosh it around for a few seconds before taking it out and rinsing. If the color is not dark enough, re-dip the fabric or add a bit more iron and then re-dip.

When you’re satisfied with the color, rinse and squeeze as much of the excess liquid out as possible. Then allow the fabric to dry out of direct sunlight.

Note, iron is a mild skin irritant and it will turn the skin around your nails a dark brown/black. I definitely recommend wearing gloves when working with iron water.

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

How to Bundle Dyeing (with Kids)

natural dye, bundle dye, ecoprint

In this tutorial, I will show you how to bundle dye with flowers and food waste.

Bundle dyeing, also known as eco printing, is a natural dye method that involves laying plant material (dye stuff) onto a piece of fabric, rolling it, bundling it with string then steaming or submerging the bundle in hot water.

Flowers, leaves, bark, food waste or dye extracts and can all be used to create beautiful bundle dyes. There are various ways to roll a bundle to achieve different patterns and results.

I’m always looking for ways to allow my son to be more involved in my dyeing process and I’ve found that bundle dyeing is a great option. It allows him to have a hands-on sensory experience while creating something that he will be able to wear or use.

Bundle dyeing is also an excellent method for covering stains on a well loved t-shirt. For this tutorial I will be covering stains on a few of my son’s favorite white tees.

Supplies:

  • Mordanted fabric or clothing
  • Food waste, flowers, leaves or other dye material
  • Cotton string
  • Pot & lid that will not be used to cook food again
  • Steaming tray or basket

For more on mordanting, check out this post on how to pre-treat fiber with soy milk or click here for a mordanting tutorial.

Step 1

Gather your dye stuff. For this tutorial I have used food waste (red and yellow onion skins, avocado skins + blueberries) and flowers (sulphur cosmos, bitterweed + coreopsis).

Berries are known as a fugitive dye which means the color they give will fade. I chose to include them in this project because it was more about having fun and being creative than the final product. I also knew my son would enjoy squishing them (he totally did).

Step 2

Dampen fabric by soaking it in water for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Remove the fabric from the water and wring it out well. Then lay it on a flat surface, smoothing out as many wrinkles as possible.

Step 4

At this point, there are a couple options. You can lay dye stuff on half of the fabric then fold the blank part over to cover it. This will create a mirror image on the two sides of your fabric. Or you can lay your dye stuff on the entire piece of fabric.

When I am working with a large piece of fabric I will often choose to create a mirror image. However, for smaller pieces I often choose to cover the entire piece with dye stuff.

Step 5

There are also a couple of options when it comes to rolling and bundling your fabric.

Option 1:

Roll your fabric up as tightly and evenly as possible. It should look long and thin, like a snake. Then starting at one end, tightly roll it again so that it looks like a disc with a spiral in the center.

how to bundle dye, natural dye
first roll
  • second roll

Option 2

This option works best for small pieces or if your fabric has been folded in half.

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Lay a stick or dowel down at one end of your fabric then roll your fabric tightly around it.

Step 6

Secure the bundle with cotton string.

Step 7

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Place the bundle into the steamer, cover and steam for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Check on the water level often to be sure it doesn’t run out – fabric will burn.

Step 8

Allow the bundle to rest for hours before unrolling. I like to let mine sit overnight.

Step 9

how to bundle dye, natural dye

Unroll your bundle and remove the dye stuff. It can be rinsed right away or you can let it sit and cure for a day or so before rinsing.

Enjoy your bundle wrapped goodies!

how to bundle dye, natural dye
Shirt that was bundled with onion skins, avocado peels and blueberries
how to bundle dye, natural dye
Shirt that was dyed with flowers

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers

Soy Milk as a Natural Dye Binder

How to Pretreat Fabric with Soy Milk
Mordanting is an important step in the natural dyeing process. It is a pre-treatment that facilitates a stronger bond between the fiber and the dye. Soy isn’t actually a mordant but it does act as a binding agent between the fabric and dye. It is one of my favorite methods because it is non-toxic and fairly easy. I like to use soy treated fabrics when I’m dyeing with pink and yellow dyes as it helps the color take on an earthier tone. In this tutorial I will show you how to pre-treat fiber with soy milk.

What you will need:

  • Dried soy beans or store bought soy milk
  • jar or bowl
  • stainless steel pot or plastic bucket
  • mesh strainer
  • nut milk bag or cheese cloth
  • blender
  • spoon
  • water

Step 1

To pretreat with soy milk you will need to make or buy unsweetened, unflavored soy milk. If you are going to use store bought soy milk, skip ahead to step 4.

How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

I prefer to make soy milk as it is very simple, less wasteful and much more cost effective. To make your own you will need organic dried soy beans, a bowl or jar, water and a blender.

Start by pouring the dried beans in to a bowl or jar and covering with water. I use about half a cup of soy beans to make a 3 gallon bucket of milk. You will want a 2:1 water to bean ratio.

soy milk binder for natural dye, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Leave the beans to soak for at least 12 hours. You will notice that they will become plump.

How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk, soy milk dye binder

Step 2

soy milk for natural dyeing, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the blender with a few cups of water. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.

Step 3

soy milk as a natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Strain the solids from the milk by pouring it through a nutmilk bag or a few layers of double cheese cloth. I like to pour over a mesh strainer to catch any spills.

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

After all of the milk has been strained, I squeeze my nut milk bag to get every last drop of liquid.

Step 4

soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Now the milk will need to be watered down. If you’re using store bought milk, add about 4 cups of milk for every gallon of water.

I don’t usually measure the amount of water I add at this point. Instead, I just fill the vessel I will use to mordant almost full with water.

Stir well to combine the milk and water.

Hooray! You’ve made soy milk!

Optional Step

At this point, I like to add tannin to my soy milk. It is completely optional but I find that it helps create deeper colors.

My favorite tannin to use is gallnut because it is the clearest tannin.

If you’d like to add tannin to your soy milk follow these simple steps:

  • Add a few tablespoons of tannin to a bowl or jar
  • Mix with hot water to dissolve
  • Mix with cold water to cool
  • Mix tannin mixture into soy milk

Step 5

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

At this point, you can enter your pre-dampened fabric into the soy milk.

Store the milk in a cool place and allow the fabric to soak for at least 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

Remove the fabric from the soy milk and wring as much of the milk out as possible. Running the fabric through a spin cycle in the washing machine works well to remove the excess liquid.

Hang or lay flat to dry.

Step 7

When the fabric is dry, dip it into the same soy milk that you previously used. Swoosh it around for a minute or two to make sure that it is evenly coated.

Soy milk natural dye binder, How to pre-treat mordant with soy milk

Repeat steps 6 & 7 three or four times. Then, allow the fabric to sit and cure for at least one week before dyeing.

For more information, please check out my self-paced online Natural Dye Course.

Natural Dye: Cellulose Fibers