How to Dye Yarn and Fabric with Black Beans (Natural Grey Dye)

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Simmer the black beans

Put just over a cup of dried black beans in a pot and cover them with lots of water, way more than you think you need. The beans absorb a huge amount of it, and you also want plenty of liquid to act as the dye. Bring the pot to a vigorous boil on high heat, then turn it down to low and simmer for about an hour. Two hours works too, but an hour should do it. You'll know it's ready when the beans are soft and most of the pigment has come out of them.

Step 2 — Strain the dye

Pour the beans through a strainer set over a bowl to get as much liquid out as you can. If you don't have a strainer, a piece of fabric will do the job. It's not a precise process. Don't be alarmed if the dye looks quite brown at this stage. That's normal, and the colour changes once it's on the fabric and dried.

Step 3 — Pre-soak and soak your fabric

Pre-soak what you're dyeing while the beans simmer. The pieces in the video sat in cool water for nearly the whole hour, then went into warm water near the end so everything was fully saturated. Squeeze them out, put them in a big glass or heat-proof plastic container, and pour the dye over the top. Leave it on the counter for a few hours so the fabric can absorb as much pigment as possible. The pieces in the video ended up sitting about 12 hours overnight, and that gave a strong colour. The pieces looked a deep charcoal at this point, so don't judge the colour yet.

Step 4 — Squeeze and rinse well

Put on gloves, because the black bean sludge can stain your fingers and around your nails. Fill a big bowl with cold water, or use your sink or tub, and add about a teaspoon of sensitive-skin, unscented, dye-free laundry detergent. It's the gentlest option, so it only removes the pigment you don't want. Give each piece a good squeeze, then rinse it vigorously in the cold soapy water until the water runs clear. You don't want loose pigment left on the fabric, because it can leach onto your skin when you sweat or in the wash. The goal is to rinse out as much as you can without removing the dye that has actually bonded to the fibres.

Step 5 — Dry, then wash cold

Stretch each piece out on a dry towel somewhere warm and dry, and leave it until it's completely, bone dry. That shows you the true colour. Then wash it in the washing machine on a delicate, cold cycle with a little detergent. This forces out any remaining loose dye, so you don't get stains on your skin or undershirts, or bleeding later on.

What to expect from black bean dye

Blue is hard to get from natural dyes, and this one didn't deliver a true blue. Straight out of the pot the dye looked brown, and the soaked pieces looked like a deep charcoal. Once dried, the cotton muslin was a cool stone grey with a pale bluish tint that is easier to see in person than on camera. The white cotton yarn and the bleached cotton tape picked up a huge amount of colour, and the yarn was a favourite. An earlier batch came out a lot bluer, so your results may differ from the ones in the video. The colour can also age into a purple-blue grey.

It's an easy, inexpensive dye, since a bag of dried beans costs very little, and it's a good way to liven up something white or pale. It works well as a project with kids because the ingredients are non-toxic. If you'd like to see what black beans do on a different fibre, take a look at the black bean wool dyeing tutorial.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to dye yarn and fabric with black beans?
You will need just over a cup of dried black beans, a pot for simmering, a big glass or heat-proof plastic container for soaking, a strainer and bowl (or a piece of fabric for straining), gloves, a big bowl of cold water or a sink, about a teaspoon of sensitive-skin, unscented, dye-free laundry detergent, a dry towel, and the items you want to dye. In the video these were unbleached cotton muslin, white Bernat Handicrafter Cotton yarn, and bleached cotton binding tape.

How many black beans do I need and how long do I simmer them?
The video used just over a cup of dried black beans, and you can use more or fewer depending on how strong you want the colour. Cover them with lots of water, bring to a vigorous boil, then simmer on low for about an hour. Two hours is fine too. The beans are soft and the pigment is out by the end.

How long should I soak fabric or yarn in black bean dye?
A few hours will absorb a good amount of pigment, but the pieces in the video sat for about 12 hours overnight and came out with a strong colour.

Does black bean dye actually make blue?
Not a clear blue in the video. The dried pieces were a stone grey with a light bluish tint, easiest to see on the cotton. An earlier batch came out bluer, so results can vary, and the dye can age into a purple-blue grey.

Why does black bean dye look brown or charcoal at first?
Straight out of the pot the dye can look quite brown, and the soaked pieces looked a deep charcoal before rinsing. The real colour shows once you rinse out the loose pigment and let the pieces dry completely.

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