Making Natural Shades of Brown Dye

- Acorns- When preparing acorns, the byproduct of making them edible can be used as a natural dye. I cracked open the acorns with a large stone. To make the nutmeats edible you boil them in hot water and strain, then boil again with new water, until the water runs clear. When boiling them the water will turn brown (natural tannins boiling away from the acorns.) This brown liquid (natural tannic acid solution) can be used with a vinegar-based fixative for a very dark brown color to cloth
- Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala) - black, blue, brown from dried leaves.
- Beetroot -Dark Brown With FeSO4
- Birch (bark) - Light brown/ buff - Alum to set
- Broom - (bark) - yellow/brown
- Broom Sedge - golden yellow and brown
- Coffee Grinds
- Coneflower (flowers) - brownish green ; leaves and stems - gold
- Colorado Fir - (bark) - tan
- Dandelion (roots) brown
- Eucaluptus - (leaves and bark) beautiful shades of tan, orange and brown.

- Fennel - (flowers, leaves) - yellow/brown

- Goldenrod (shoots ) - deep brown

- Hollyhock (petals)

- Ivy - (twigs) - yellow/brown
- Juniper Berries
- Lichens - A pink, brown, or wine colored dye can be produced from a lichen known as British soldiers.

- Maple Trees (Red Leaf Buds) - red-brown color when dried. Found on branches before new leaves appear only present during early spring and throughout fall.

- Oak bark will give a tan or oak color.
- Old man's beard lichen - yellow/brown/orange shades
- Pine Tree Bark - light medium brown. Needs no mordant.
- St John's Wort (blossom) - brown

- Sumac (leaves) - tan
- Tea Bags - light brown, tan

- Walnut (hulls) - deep brown (wear gloves)

- Walnut (husks) - deep brown - black

- White Birch - (inner bark) - brown
- White Maple (bark) - Light brown/ buff - Alum to set

- Wild plum root will give a reddish or rusty brown.

- Yellow dock (shades of brown)

references: Pioneering thinking