I’ve really taken a liking to natural dyeing because it’s non toxic and I love the earthy colors that are produced. There are so many factors that go into determining the final color and I’m excited to start experimenting again! I’ll be dyeing with walnut hull powder and the process will be a little different than the one I used when I dyed with tea. This time I won’t be diluting the concentrated dye (to achieve a darker color) and I’ll also be heating the fabric in the dye bath for a couple of hours before leaving it overnight. Similar to the tea dye, this is also a great choice for those who are new to dyeing and walnut hulls are rich in tannins so you do not need a mordant. The walnut hulls create a shade that I’d describe as an ashy gray-brown. It’s beautiful! I also included some pictures comparing the tea and walnut dye color output just in case someone was trying to decide between the two.

Materials:

– fabric: natural fibers such as cotton, linen, muslin, silk and wool. Read more on how to choose textiles here
– walnut hull powder
– two large pots (at least one has to be enamel, stainless steel or other nonreactive metal)
– distilled white vinegar

Instructions to make walnut hull dye:

Step 1: How to create walnut hull dye

Fill a large pot (nonreactive metal) with enough water to cover your fabric and heat on low. The size of the pot you use to dye and ratio of powder to water you’ll be using depends on the amount of fabric you’ll be dyeing. I’m using a 15 qt pot more than half full with 4 tablespoons of powder. Adjust the amount of powder based on the amount of water you are using. Stir until the powder is fully dissolved.

Step 2: How to mordant fabric

Fill the other pot with enough water to cover your fabric and add your vinegar. I used a ratio of about one part vinegar to four parts water. The acid in the vinegar will help to condition and open up the fibers. Wet your fabric thoroughly with water.

Step 3: How to dye using natural walnut dye

Submerge the wet fabric into the dye bath, making sure that your fabric is completely covered. I’m using 100% linen and cotton (both old and new shirts that have been washed). Slowly bring to a low simmer and hold at a low simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring every so often and making sure that there aren’t any air bubbles trapped in the fabric that will cause uneven coloring. After an hour or two remove from heat and leave overnight. If possible, agitate and stir the fabric every so often so that it absorbs the dye evenly.

Check on your fabric the next morning and if the color is to your liking (keep in mind that it will be several shades lighter once washed), remove from the dye and soak in a cold water bath (two parts vinegar, one part water) for 15 minutes. Rinse until the water runs clear and hang to dry. I like to leave them on the drying rack for a couple of days before running them through a delicate cold cycle and hanging to dry again.

A note on washing: Plant dyes are PH sensitive so you’ll need to use a bio soap such as Seventh Generation or Ecos. Natural dyes will fade a bit but the fabric will hold a good amount of color if cared for properly.

Here’s a picture of how the different fabrics turned out. The picture on the left is 100% linen, freshly dyed and washed once. The picture on the right is a comparison of the cotton t shirts I have dyed for Elliot (left is walnut, freshly dyed and washed once + right is tea which has been worn and washed a few times since dyeing)