Dyeing with Nuts DIY Tutorial with Pearl & Godiva and Silk & Willow

Jan 20, 2015 | Inspiration

We're loving our day of DIY tutorials today! Did you see the onion based dyeing process we featured this morning? Well now you have two DIY tutorials to try for your wedding day thanks to the wonderful team at Pearl & Godiva and Silk & Willow! Captured on film by our favourite European photographer, Peaches & Mint, these easy How-To guides for creating perfectly dyed materials for your tablescape are an excellent way to save costs yet introduce that organic and personalised bespoke value to your big day. Now get those bridesmaids round and have fun!

From Silk & Willow: "Walnuts are a substantive dye rich in tannins, which will create lasting color without the aid of chemical additives. Walnuts harvested in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America have been used for centuries to dye deep rich browns. In North America, walnuts are gathered in early fall. The color is extracted from the  “husks” , or outer casings. Simply gather your whole walnuts, the outer green husks contain the most colorant so be sure to wear protective gloves; the intense coloring will stain your hands. It is best to soak the whole walnuts for days or up to weeks to create a more saturated color."

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1. Cover your whole walnuts with water and soak for several days or longer prior to dyeing.

2. Prepare your clean fabric for dyeing by soaking in water for a minimum of 1 hour prior to dyeing, to open the fibers to accept your dye color.

3. Add your soaked bath of walnuts and water to a cooking pot and simmer on high for 1 hour. Cover and leave to cool overnight.

3. Strain out walnuts, and add your colored dye bath back to your cooking pot. 

4. Place your fabric in the dye bath, and add more water if necessary to cover you fabric so that it moves freely in your dye bath.

5. Bring dye bath to a simmer and hold for 1 hour or until desired color is achieved.

6. Cool dye bath and remove fabric. Rinse until water runs clear.

If you are not in an area where whole walnuts are available, you can purchase ground walnut hulls from www.botanicalcolors.com. Full instructions included.

We'd LOVE to see your attempts at this easy DIY Tutorial so go ahead and tag us on social media with your images so we can check them out!

Vendor details

Photography: Peaches & Mint | Styling and direction: Pearl & Godiva | Silk materials and ribbon: Silk & Willow

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