Making Magical Dyes

   Color, as we know, has strong symbolism in witchcraft. Color can be used to invoke a variety of elements and energies for whatever type of ritual work we are conducting. Dyes can be used for cloth, poppets, clothing, wands, wooden chalices and bowls, eggs, and even altars. Natural dyes work well as paints for illustrations and inks in books of shadows. This section offers many different ideas that work well for making your own dyes.

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Pink

 1) Cranberry Juice
2) juice from pickled beets
3) Raspberry juice lightened with water.

Red

 1) Boil the skins of several red onions. Boil off the water to make the color darker.
2) Raspberry juice (purplish-red)
3) Simmer soapberry (Shepherdia canadensis) until sufficient color is reached.
4) Strawberry blite simmered until desired color is reached.
5) Bedstraw root simmered.
6) Powder Brazilwood and expose to the air for a few hours. Sprinkle with water and alcohol.

Orange

 1) Boil bloodroot (TOXIC).
2) Simmer coreopsis flower for two hours then boil off the water as much as possible.
3) Annato seed boiled.
4) henna powder mixed with hot water and a little lemon juice (reddish brown to orange)

Yellow

 1) Boil one cup of water. Add 1 1/2 tsp of turmeric. For eggs, add 1/2 tsp of vinegar.
2) saffron (can be costly)
3) Simmer coreopsis flowers for one hour.
4) Simmer goldenrod flowers for 1/2 hour.
5) Simmer onion skins for 20 minutes.
6) Boil burdock root.
7) Boil clematis leaves.
8) Simmer yarrow
9) Barberry

Green

 1) Liquid chlorophyll
2) Mash fresh grass and add just a little vinegar and water.
3) Boil violet blossoms in water for several hours. Boil off the water to darken the color. Add 1/4 tsp baking soda. Test an area for color before using this dye.
4) Simmer fresh Lilly of the Valley leaves (TOXIC) for one hour
5) Use Queen Anne's Lace flowers and stems. Simmer for 1 hour.
6) Rhododendrun leaves - let green leaves soak overnight, then boil for one hour.

Blue

 1) Juice of some types of blueberry.
1) Indigo flowers steeped in simmering water, then darkened by boiling off extra water.

Indigo

 1) Indigo flowers steeped in simmering water.

Purple

 1) Boil violet blossoms in water for several hours. Boil off the water to darken the color.
2) Blueberry Juice
3) Blackberry Juice.
4) Salal berry juice.
5) Mulberry juice.

Lavender

 1) boil the skins of just a few red onions. Boiling off the water or using too many skins will cause the color to become darker and turn red.
2) grape juice
3) 1) Boil violet blossoms in water for several hours and then add some lemon juice.

Tan

 1) Boil the skins from yellow onions to make a light golden brown. Boil off the water to make it darker.
2) Add a very small amount of coffee to hot water.
3) Simmer marigold heads for one hour.
4) Cedar chips soaked in water overnight, then boiled one hour.
5) Sweet woodruff leaves simmered.

Brown

 1) Add coffee to hot water. Use vinegar to help the color take to eggs.
2) Soak ground acorns overnight, then boil for 2.5 hours.
3) henna powder mixed with hot water and a little lemon juice (reddish brown to orange)

Black

 1) India ink
2) Charcoal mixed with a tiny amount of water.
   

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Tips and Tricks:

1) To make a color darker, boil off more of the water. You can also use several layers of the color to make it darker.
2) To make your colors permanent you can boil off as much of the water as possible and replace it with vodka or vinegar. Keep your colors in well-sealed containers to keep the alcohol and vinegar from evaporating. You can also try keeping colors in the refrigerator to make them last longer.
3) Keep colors in glass containers if possible. Reusing plastic containers, even if they have been cleaned, can contaminate your colors.
4) If you do not have enough to make lots of colors, try making only the basic colors and mix them to obtain other hues. (Red, Blue, and Yellow)
5) When dyeing eggs, add one tablespoon of vinegar to the dye. Orange sometimes does not need vinegar added.