Posted by Miriam Splett
on April 17, 2025
When you sit down to dye, you’re not just adding colour. You’re creating a conversation between plant and cloth. The fibres you choose will shape that dialogue - how the dye holds, how the colour breathes, and how the final piece feels in your hands.
Natural dyes work best when they meet natural fibres. It’s the kind of pairing that just makes sense. Like rain meeting soil. Like hands touching clay. The results are deeper, softer, and more alive.
Start with Natural Fibres
Plant-based dyes need something real to hold onto. Synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon don’t absorb natural colour well - the result is often faded, patchy or inconsistent.
These are the fibres we love working with most:
Cotton
Soft, breathable, and easy to work with. Cotton absorbs colour beautifully, especially when pre-treated with a natural mordant. It's perfect for beginners and versatile for any kind of project.
Try WildHue on cotton with our natural dye extracts
Linen
Textural and strong, linen gives a slightly rustic, organic look to dyed fabric. It takes on plant colour with grace, often creating subtle, layered tones that feel grounded and wild all at once.
Hemp
Naturally antimicrobial and deeply sustainable, hemp blends beautifully with natural dyes. Its fibre structure gives colours a slightly muted, earthy finish s think soft sage, clay pink, or sun-washed ochre.
Silk
Delicate but incredibly absorbent, silk loves plant dyes. It holds colour with a certain luminosity, almost glowing in the light. Perfect for scarves, ritual cloths, or anything that deserves to feel special.
Eucalyptus Lyocell (TENCEL™)
Made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, this fibre is soft, breathable, and a dream to dye. It’s also what you’ll find in Ethical Bedding’s naturally dyed sheets - a beautiful canvas for rest and ritual.
Bamboo
Silky to the touch and naturally hypoallergenic, bamboo is both a joy to sleep in and a joy to dye. It absorbs botanical colour with a gentle softness, lending itself to calm, fluid hues. As one of the most renewable plants on the planet, bamboo brings both beauty and conscience to your craft.
What About Fabric Blends?
Some blends can still hold colour well, especially if the natural fibre content is high. Fabrics like cotton-linen, hemp-cotton, and silk blends with wool or cotton tend to perform best.
If a fabric has less than 60% natural content, the results may be uneven or muted. We always recommend testing a small swatch before dyeing a full piece.
How to Prepare Your Fabric
Before you dye, take a little time to prepare your fabric with care:
Scour it
Wash the fabric thoroughly with a mild, fragrance-free detergent to remove any oils or sizing.
Mordant it
Use a natural mordant like alum to help the colour bond with the fibre. This step can deepen and extend the life of your colours.
Soak it
Pre-wet the fabric before dyeing. This allows for more even colour uptake and reduces blotching.
Each of these steps is part of the ritual. An invitation to slow down and connect.
Make Colour Part of Your Craft
Choosing the right fabric isn’t just practical - it’s poetic. It’s part of the alchemy. When your fibre and your dye are both rooted in nature, the result is more than just beautiful. It feels alive. Like something found, not made.
And when you wrap yourself in it, or lay it across your table, or gift it to someone you love, that energy travels with it.
Curious how Colour Meets Comfort?
Ethical Bedding sheets are made from eucalyptus fibre - naturally cool, sustainable, and kind to your skin.
Add your own layer of meaning with WildHue botanical dyes, and let your bedding become a canvas for self-expression.
