Marigold Flower Powder is a beautiful natural dye made from the dried and powdered flowers of Tagetes erecta, commonly known as African Marigold. These vibrant golden-yellow and orange flowers have long been valued for their natural colouring properties, producing lovely shades of soft yellow, golden yellow, mustard and warm orange-yellow on natural fibres.

Marigold is a wonderful choice for natural dyers wanting to create bright, sunny colours from botanical sources. It is particularly attractive on silk and wool, where it can produce rich golden shades, while cotton and linen generally produce softer yellows depending on the mordant and dyeing method.

This product is supplied as raw flower powder rather than a concentrated extract, making it ideal for those who enjoy traditional plant-based dyeing methods.

Marigold can also be combined with other natural dyes or modified with Iron to create a broader range of colours, including earthy olive greens, khaki and muted golden tones.

Key Features

• Natural plant-based dye made from Marigold flowers

• Botanical name: Tagetes erecta

• Also known as African Marigold

• Supplied as raw flower powder – not a concentrated extract

• Produces beautiful yellow, golden yellow, mustard and orange-yellow shades

• Particularly attractive on silk and wool

• Suitable for cotton, linen and other natural cellulose fibres

• Can be modified with Iron to produce olive, khaki and muted greenish shades

• Can be combined with Indigo to explore a range of green tones

• Suitable for traditional natural dyeing, botanical dyeing and textile crafts

• An excellent choice for creating warm, sunny and earthy colour palettes

Dyeing with Marigold Powder

As Marigold Powder is a raw plant material rather than a concentrated dye extract, a larger quantity is generally required to achieve a good depth of colour.

For a medium shade, approximately 30–50% WOF (weight of fibre) is a useful starting point. For stronger golden yellow shades, quantities of 50–100% WOF may be used, depending on the fibre and desired colour.

For example, to dye 100g of dry fibre, begin with approximately 30–50g of Marigold Powder.

Preparing the Dyebath:

1. Soak the Marigold Powder in warm water to help release the natural colour.

2. Gently heat the mixture for approximately 30–60 minutes, avoiding vigorous boiling.

3. Strain the dye liquor to remove plant particles if a cleaner finish is preferred.

4. Add the pre-wetted, suitably mordanted fibre to the dyebath.

5. Gently heat and maintain the dyebath until the desired shade is achieved.

6. Allow the fibre to cool in the dyebath where practical, then rinse gently and dry away from direct sunlight.

A second extraction of the plant material may produce lighter shades.

Mordanting

Marigold generally produces clearer and more lasting shades when fibres are properly mordanted before dyeing.

For Protein Fibres – Silk and Wool:

• Alum at approximately 15% WOF is a useful starting point.

• Produces clear golden yellow and warm yellow shades.

For Cellulose Fibres – Cotton, Linen and Hemp:

• Tannin at approximately 8% WOF, followed by Alum at 15% WOF, or

• Aluminium Acetate at approximately 8% WOF.

Correct mordanting helps improve dye uptake and can improve colourfastness.

Colour Range

Depending on the fibre, mordant and dyeing method, Marigold Powder can produce:

• Soft buttery yellow

• Bright golden yellow

• Rich golden yellow

• Mustard yellow

• Warm orange-yellow

• Olive green with Iron

• Khaki and muted earthy greens with Iron

• Various green shades when combined with Indigo

Perfect For

• Creating beautiful golden yellow shades on silk scarves and wool yarns

• Dyeing cotton, linen and other natural fabrics

• Traditional natural dyeing and botanical textile projects

• Combining with Indigo to explore green colour combinations

• Experimenting with Iron modifiers to produce olive and khaki shades

• Hand-dyed yarns, fabrics and fibres

• Creating natural dye sample books and colour studies

Marigold Powder is a lovely addition to any natural dyer's collection, offering beautiful warm golden colours and a versatile range of earthy shades from a traditional botanical dye source.

Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta
Common Name: African Marigold
Plant Part: Flowers
Form: Raw Powder
WOF: Weight of Fibre

Please Note: Natural dye results vary according to the fibre, mordant, water quality, dye concentration, extraction method and dyeing conditions. Marigold's colourfastness can vary, particularly with exposure to light, so we recommend testing samples before dyeing larger quantities.

For textile and craft use only. Not intended for consumption.