How to Dye With Black Walnut

Anyone with black walnut trees in his yard notices how their hulls stain sidewalks in the rain. Though most find this undesirable, black walnut dye is useful for staining and coloring wood or natural fabrics with no mordant required. Black walnut dye is colorfast and has a rich brown color. Due to the coloring's potency, wear rubber gloves when using the dye and protect surfaces with newspaper to prevent unwanted staining.

Gallon buckets
Pots
Cheesecloth or nylon stockings
Glass storage containers
White vinegar
Paint brush
Spray bottle

Instructions

- 1
  Collect brown walnut hulls from your black walnut tree in gallon buckets. If the walnut hulls are still green, wait at least a week for them to change color.
- 2
  Cover the hulls with cold water and let them steep for three days. For a darker color, transfer the hulls and water into pots and boil them for one or two hours.
- 3
  Strain the liquid through cheesecloth or nylon stockings into glass storage containers. If not using the dye immediately, add a dash of white vinegar to the liquid or freeze the containers to prevent mold growth.
- 4
  Paint or spray the liquid onto wood to stain it dark brown. If dyeing fabric, steep fabric in the liquid dye overnight.

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