How to Dye Canvas With White Oak

Oak tree leaves are useful as a dye when they are infested by gall-making mites.

White oak trees have a substance called tannin in the center of their wood. Tannin produces a dye that has been used by native people for centuries to cure and color leather and fabric. Another source of dye is from the oak tree gall, a tumor-like growth on the leaves and the result of insects that hatch and pupate inside the leaf. Insect burrowing leaves pimple-like impressions on the oak leaf. When the insect leaves the gall, a dark brown dye is extracted.

Things You'll Need

• Mortar and pestle
• Distilled water
• 2 bowls
• Cheesecloth
• Plastic or rubber gloves
• Washing machine
• Detergent
• Vinegar
• Clothesline
• Bleach

Instructions

1. Collect the leaves in fall when the insects have pupated and moved on. Dry the leaves in the sun until they are crunchy.

2. Place the leaves in the mortar and pestle in batches and crush them completely. Put the crushed material into a bowl and add just enough distilled water to cover the leaf paste. Allow it to soak for 10 to 15 days on the counter.

3. Pour the mixture through cheesecloth to drain out the solids. Place another bowl in the sink and lay the cheesecloth over the top. Pour the mix into the cheesecloth. Put on gloves to protect your hands from the dye. Manually squeeze out any leftover moisture in the cheesecloth and discard.

4. Put the piece of canvas in the washing machine and add the dye. The amount depends n the size of canvas. A small piece no larger than 1 foot square should have 1/4 cup of dye, while a larger 3-foot-square will need a full cup. The amount of color can be adjusted after the dyeing process.

5. Turn the washer on to fill it and allow it to agitate for five minutes. Turn off the machine and let the canvas soak for 15 minutes. Turn on the agitation again and allow to soak. After 30 minutes, drain the machine and check the color. The color is darker than it will be wet. If you want more color, add more dye and increase the soaking time. If you want less, run the canvas through a wash cycle with soap.

6. Run a load with 1 cup of white vinegar to set the color. Hang the canvas on a clothesline in the sun to dry. Clean out the washing machine with bleach.

References

• University of Rajasthan; Extraction and Application of Dye Extracted From Eriophyd Leaf Gall of Quercus Leucotrichophora; Preeti Mishra, et al.; March 2011
• Pollen Library: Northern White Oak--Quercus Alba
• Brandeis University Biology Department: Oak--Quercus