How to Paint Dye With Our "Magic" Natural Dye Fabric Paint

Purchase Our Magic Natural Fabric Paint

Directions for Yellow (Fustic) and Rose (Cochineal). (Indigo Directions)

Step 1: Soak the Fabric with Mordant
Soak the fabric, fiber, or yarn for one day in a solution of warm water and mordant. Hot water from the tap is fine and it should soak at least overnight. Use 25% ALUM or 3% TIN (Stannous Chloride) by weight of fabric. So, if you were dying 1 lb of fiber, you would use 4 oz of alum or 1/2 oz of tin. You can find alum in your baking section at the supermarket (alum is used for pickling), or from us.

For mordanting, always handle with rubber gloves so nothing is absorbed through the skin of the hands. Make sure kids and pets don't accidently drink the solution (it's pretty nasty so normally they wouldn't).

Step 2: Dry
Be sure the fiber is dry so the paint does not run. For the cleanest lines, apply gutta-resist (this is a starch resist that is available at art supply stores).

Step 3: Mix Paint for different colors, if desired
These paint dyes can be combined with each other or with other substances to produce different colors.

• Yellow: Just use the Yellow dye. Fastness: good to washing, excellent to light.
• Moss Green shadings: Use the Yellow, and add a tiny amount of IRON (Ferrous Sulphate) to a bit of the paint dye in a separate container, or brush a wash of iron desolved in water over the Yellow. Fastness: excellent to both light and washing.
• Bright Greens: Combine Yellow with Indigo crystals (Blue). Be sure to mix in a separate container and make only as much as you will need. Indigo needs to be used within an hour or it will oxidize and no longer dye. See the directions for Indigo Crystals.
• Rose: Use the Rose dye. Fastness: good to washing, excellent to light.
• Plum shadings: Use the Rose, and add a tiny amount IRON (Ferrous Sulphate) to a bit of the paint dye in a separate container, or brush a wash of iron desolved in water over the Rose. Fastness: excellent to both light and washing.
• Orange-Rose: Use the Rose and add acid, such as citric acid crystals or vinegar.
• Violet-Rose: Use the Rose and add clear non-sudzing household ammonia.
• Orange: Combine the Yellow and the Rose dye. You can do this by mixing them together in a separate container or by layering them (painting on one color and then the other).
• Experiment! Dyes can be mixed or layered. For lighter shades dilute with distilled or filtered water. Just remember, if you combine the dyes with the Indigo crystals, make sure you use it within an hour or the dye will oxidize and no longer work.

Step 4: Paint!
Shake or stir the dye before using. Brush the dye directly on the fabric, as with any watercolor paint. Use a large brush to cover large areas and fine brushes for details. The dye is concentrated enough that one jar will paint many yards of silk. Cotton and hemp will only take soft colors and will use much more dye.

Stencilling is another technique - cut stencils from heavy wazed paper or thin plastic sheets and "stipple" the dye through the open spaces with a stiff thick brush.

To tie dye, after mordanting, fold or squish or stitch up the fabric and either paint on the dye in places or fill a shallow pan with dye and lay in the fabric.

When you are done, dry it in the shade.

Step 5: Rinse
If you are making wall-art, no rinsing is necessary, but if you plan to wear it you should wash the excess dye out.  

Painting on Paper
Another wonderful thing about these dyes is that you can use them as natural watercolour paints. Just brush a solution of water mixed with alum mordant on the paper, let it dry (if you want clean lines), and paint!

The mordant solution is the same - 25% by weight of paper, with just enough water to dissolve the alum (give it a half hour to dissolve if it isn't powdered). You may need to brush it on and dry it several times to get enough alum on the paper if it's thick, or just once if the paper is thin.

Click Here to Buy Our Natural Fabric Paint