How Do You Make Walnut Dye?

[shakygreg]

Hey Guys.

Been tryino figure out how to make walnut dye. Can yall give me some instructions.

Thanks in Advance

[Ladykahu]

Hi

FIrstly I am new to leatherworking, but have used natural plant dies for years for my other textile arts.

I have a book "Dyes from Plants of australia and New Zealand" by Joyce Lloyd

Quoted directly from the book

Walnut English

It is not necessary to use a mordant when dyeing with walnut as it is a substantive dye. From the bark and from the green case surrounding the ripening nuts are obtained good browns. The green skins with mordants produce:

Acetic acid - green -gold

Iron - grey-beige

Chrome - golden brown.

She recommends using an enamal pot for brewing the dye in. She also says to make sure you make enough in one go for the project you are working on, as no two batches will be the same because you are using a natural product and even if you measure the same amount natural influences will have affected the chemical make up of the 'dye' product.

Basically you chuck it in a pot and stew it slowly until you get the colour you want. I used to do a lot of mine on a coal range and just damp it down over night so it 'stewed' all night. Don't boil it though, just a gentle simmer. then strain and use.

Because I was dyeing wool and fabric I used to put the wool in with the dye and simmer for half an hour to make sure it fixed, but that won't work with leather, so I guess you have to start with a slightly darker colour.

Hope that makes sense

Natalie

[shakygreg]

Thank you for the response. It definitely helped.

[lazybum]

cascity has a pretty nice guide here:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,11991.0.html

[Suze]

just make sure you are wearing rubber gloves for the whole process.

I have black walnut trees and just picking up the fallen nuts can turn your hands brown.

I've also used these walnuts for dyeing fabric - we put the nuts in a bucket and let then steep for a good long time (outside under the porch) then hulled them and THEN cooked then down.

Boy do they stink (and they were growing worms too -- shudder)

but it did make some lovely chocolate brown fabric.