Understanding natural dyes

To produce natural dyes you firstly need to understand what natural material produce which colours:

To produce yellow you could use queen ann’s lace, Bay leaves, Barberry, Crocus, Fustic, Saffron, Safflower, Sassafras, Syrian Rue, Red Clover, Yellow cone flower, Onion, Alfalfa, Marigold, Willow, Queen Anne’s Lace, Heather, St. John’s Wort, Burdock, Celery, Golden Rod, Sumac, Weld, Old man’s beard lichen, Oregon-grape roots, Cameleon plant, Mimosa, Dandelion flower, Osage Orange, Daffodil flower heads, Mullen, Hickory, Tea, White mulberry tree, Paprika, Peach, Beetroot, Turmeric, Oxallis, Dahlia Flowers, Mulga Acacia, Sunflowers, Dyer’s Greenwood, Tansy and Yarrow

To produce orange you could use Alder Bark, Bloodroot, Sassafras, Onion, Lichen, Carrot, Lilac, Barberry, Giant Coreopsis, Turmeric, Pomegranate, Butternut, Eucalyptus, Onion skins and Lilac twigs.

To produce brown you could use Wild plum root,  Oak bark,  Sumac, Dandelion, Broom, Walnut, Tea Bags, White Birch, Juniper Berries, Fennel, Coffee Grinds, Acorns, Hollyhock, Colorado Fir, Yellow dock, Beetroot, Maple Trees, Amur Maple, Ivy, Pine Tree Bark, White Maple, Birch, St John’s Wort, Broom Sedge, Coneflower, Goldenrod Dandelion roots, Coffee grounds, Tea ,Walnut hulls and Boiled acorns.

To produce reds and browns you could use Elderberry, Pomegranates, Red leaves, Sumac, Sycamore, Dandelion, Beets, Bamboo, Crab Apple, Rose, Chokecherries, Madder, Hibiscus Flowers, Canadian Hemlock, Japanese Yew, Wild ripe Blackberries, Brazilwood, St. John’s Wort, crab apple bark and Bedstraw

To produce pink you could use Strawberries, Cherries, Avocado, Cherries, Raspberries, Roses, Lavender, Lichens, Camilla and Grand Fir

To produce peaches and salmon you could use Jewelweed, Broom Flower, Virginia Creeper, Achiote powder, Plum tree, Weeping Willow, Virgina Creeper, Balm, Jewelweed, Broom Flower, Virginia Creeper, Achiote powder, Plum tree, Weeping Willow, Virgina Creeper and Balm

To produce reds and purples you could use Pokeweed, Hibiscus, Daylilies, Safflower, Logwood, Huckleberry, Portulaca, Beluga Black Lentils, Dark Hollyhock and Basil

To create blues and purples you could use Dogwood, Red cabbage, Woad, Mulberries, Elderberries, Saffron, Grapes, Blueberries, Cornflower, Cherry, Blackberry, Hyacinth, Japanese indigo, Indigo, Red Cedar, Raspberry, Red Maple Tree, Black Iris, Dogwood, Oregon Grape, Purple Iris, Sweetgum, red cabbage and Queen Anne’s Lace

To produce greens you could use Artemisia, Artichokes, Tea Tree, Spinach, Sorrel, Foxglove, Lilac, Camellia, Snapdragon, Grass, Pigsweed, Red Pine needles, Nettle, Broom, Larkspur, Plantain Roots, White Ash, Purple Milkweed, Lily-of-the-valley, Barberry root, Red onion, Yarrow, Mulga Acacia, Peach, Coneflower, Peppermint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Black-Eyed Susans, Hydrangea and Chamomile

To produce black you could use Iris, Sumac, Meadowsweet, Blackberry, Butternut Hulls, Carob, Oak galls, Sawthorn Oak, Walnut, Rusty nails

Azerbaijan rugs (2004 - 2013). our main dyestuff. Retrieved from http://www.azerbaijanrugs.com/arfp-natural_dyes_dyestuffs.htm.

Heather Levin (2012). How to Make Natural Dyes to Dye Fabric & Clothes – 3 Easy Steps to Dyeing Naturally at Home. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moneycrashers.com/how-to-dye-fabric-clothes-make-natural-dyes/. [Last Accessed 16th January 2014]

Natural History Museum (2013). Natural dyes. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/kids-only/things-to-make-and-do/natural-dyes/. [Last Accessed 14th January 2014]

Petra Guenthner Johnson (2013). Using Plants as Natural Dyes. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/chiwonlee/plsc211/student%20papers/articles04/petra%20Guenthner-Johnson/dyes.html. [Last Accessed 16th January 2014]

Pioneer Thinking (2014). Making Natural Dyes from Plants. [ONLINE] Available at: http://pioneerthinking.com/crafts/natural-dyes. [Last Accessed 16th January 2014]

saobancrafts.com (2011). Natural Dyeing: A Demanding Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.saobancrafts.com/our-products/silk/natural-dyeing. [Last Accessed 15th January 2014]

tactilefiberarts.com (2013). Why Natural Dyes?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tactilefiberarts.com/why-natural-dyes. [Last Accessed 14th January 2014]