Tree bark

Bark pigment and bark tanning

The bark of various trees can be used for making pigments as well as for tanning leather. Bark tanning is the ancient process of creating a durable, water repellent leather by tanning animal hide with the bark from trees. The process takes several months to complete but will result in a finished leather that you can use to create attire, clothing accessories, saddles, wallets, and other leather items.

For creating colours you can think of Alder (orange) Butternut Tree (light yellow-orange), Eucalyptus (all parts, leaves and bark: deep rust red, yellow, green, orange and chocolate brown, best for silk or wool fibres), Birch (Light brown, alum to set) Broom (yellow/brown), Grand Fir (pink) Dogwood (blue), Canadian Hemlock (reddish brown) and many more!

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