Birch bark has been used for centuries as both a craft material and a dyestuff. In the dye pot, it yields a wide spectrum of earthy tones: warm browns, soft fawns, dusky pinks, and gentle reds. With alum it brightens, with iron it deepens into cooler browns and greys, and with soda ash it can lean toward stronger pinks. The bark contains significant tannins, making it not only a dye but also a powerful assistant in preparing fibres for colour, especially useful in chelation, where tannins help mordants bind more effectively to cellulose fibres.

Historical Note
Across Northern and Eastern Europe, birch was a tree of daily life: its sap drunk as a tonic, its bark used for writing, roofing, and kindling. Folk dyers took advantage of the plentiful bark for yarns and cloth, often in fermentation vats that yielded deep, durable shades. In Scandinavian and Baltic traditions, birch bark remained a reliable household dye well into the 19th century.

Source
Our birch bark is a by-product of renewable forests planted for the furniture industry.

Active Coloring Compounds Tannins, triterpenes, and betulin derivatives.

CI Colour Name
Closest family: CI Natural Brown 7 / CI Natural Red 24 (birch bark is not formally indexed, but aligns with these tonal groups).

Shading Tips

• No mordant → warm fawns and soft browns
• Alum → brighter pinks and light reds
• Iron (ferrous sulfate) → cooler browns, greys, deeper tones
• Soda ash (alkaline bath) → pushes shades toward stronger pinks
• Excellent as a tannin source for chelation before other dyes, especially when working on cellulose.