There are lots of ways to make pink dye. Pink is one of the most popular colors out there, and there are plenty of things in and around the garden that will help you to dye your fabrics pink! 

Creating the perfect dyes for specific products can be something of a challenge, as you will want to make sure that it is just right.

There are countless different ways to make your own pink dye, and as such it can be difficult to tell which is the perfect method for you.

Luckily, our expertise in the world of dyes, and our consultations with other experts in the field, has enabled us to put together this perfect guide to making pink dye! 

This article will run through all the different ways that you can make pink dye for fabrics and fibers for a range of different projects, check out our guide on how to make pink dye if that’s up your ally!.

You need to read this article if you’re looking to dye your clothing or to make something creative! It will provide you with all the information you need.

What Can You Find In The Garden To Make Pink Dye? 

There are lots of different things that can be found in your garden that you can use to make pink dye.

I have tried and tested each of these ways of making pink dye, so this is some very useful first-hand information! 

British Soldier Lichens 

Cladonia Cristatella, also known as the British Soldier Lichen are found growing on logs, tree bases and mossy logs. They are found growing on decaying wood, tree bases and stumps.

In order to use British Soldier Lichens to make dye, you should boil them with water and then strain them. After my testing, I found that this creates a dark pink, wine colored dye. 

The name British Soldier Lichen comes from the resemblance to the uniforms that were worn by English soldiers during the war.

Cherries 

Cherries are used in lots of different ways and they are very popularly used in cherry flavored desserts. This fruit can range in color from a light red to a dark purple.

If you are looking to make a pink dye, you will have to make sure that you select the red or the purple cherries. This is because in this way you will be able to extract the most colorant from the cherries. 

During my testing I found that the process of getting the colorant from the cherry is very straightforward. You will be required to boil the cherry whole until the fruit pops.

You will then need to strain out the solids from the mixture in order to use the liquids as a natural dye.

After you have done this, you can place the item that you are hoping to dye in the liquid and leave it for as long as you want. The longer that you leave the item in the dye, the stronger the color will be.

Fir Tree 

This may be surprising, but the grand fir tree, also known as the Giant Fir, will provide you with pink dye.

The bark on this tree is smooth and greyish brown when it is young but as it becomes older it becomes scaly and furrowed.

In order to extract the pink dye from this tree, you must boil the mature bark in water and then strain it. 

Pink Camellia 

This is a plant that is found in the Deep South in the US. It is also found in Asia, as it is found in Japan and Indonesia across to the Himalayas. Camellias are evergreen plants and they do turn into small trees. 

The flowers on this plant range from white to red, with lots of pink colored leaves found on the plant. You can also find some yellow petals in Northern Vietnam.

In order to make a dye from this plant, you do not have to boil the petals. Instead, you just need to create a dye bath made up of pink or red blooms with salt and lemon. This will create a strong pink dye. 

I found that the beauty of using the Camellia is that you can experiment with lots of different colored petals in order to make the color that you want to make.

Roses And Lavender 

Combining pink or red rose petals with some purple lavender is a great way to make pink dye.

The combination of the two colors, alongside some lemon juice, will create a great pink dye bath when mixed together in hot water. You should strain away the solids when this is done and start dying! 

After my testing, I advise that you should add more red rose petals if you’re looking for a deeper pink color as it can come out quite lightly colored.

Strawberries 

I have tested using strawberries to make a pink dye and it works very well. You will likely already have these in your house already, like in our can you tie dye a black shirt article!

This can be strawberries that you have bought in the store or grown in the garden. The fruit is bright red and it is used in many different baked goods and preserves.

In order to create a pink dye bath you will need to boil the fruit in some water and crush the strawberries to release some color. Then you will be required to strain the solids so that the dye is ready to use.

Raspberries

The raspberry works fantastically as a dye. As the fruit can range so much in color, the color of the raspberry that you choose will impact the color of the dye that you make.

If you’re looking to create a different pink hue, try mixing together strawberries, cherries and raspberries.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering how to make natural pink dye, you should now have all the information you need! This article has explored how you can make pink dye from produce that you can find in your garden.

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