We use two methods to make plant ink: pressed (unheated) or heated.

For the pressed method (unheated), we put a small amount of “soft” petals (e.g., tulip or hyacinth work well) and crush.  You can use a dedicated juicer for soft fruit (but make sure if you will use if for food – not to add anything else and just stick to food items.

 We use a dedicated pestle and mortar and crush until a juice forms, you can add a little water to aid the process and add a pinch of alum to draw out the colour. Test the colour with a small strip of paper (use a piece of the type of paper you will use with the inks).   Strain the plant material out, This will make a small amount of concentrated ink.  To preserve it let it dry out completely.  Label the container. You then mix with a small amount of water to reactivate the ink.  This is great if you want to take a small amount of ink to travel.  

I use a tiny glass candle holder or tiny glass jars or even empty paint pans to store the ink in.  Seashells are an option, but we have found that the ink material can peel off over time, even if the shell has been cleaned thoroughly.

For the heated method, chop or break up the plant material into small pieces and cover with water in a pan (dedicated for ink making) over a low heat.  Heat until you start to see a colour change. You can add soda ash if desired (try a small amount at a time) to extract colour.  Test the colour with a small strip of paper (use a piece of the type of paper you will use with the inks) and heat until you achieve a colour you are happy with.  Strain the ink and pour into a sterilised jar or bottle add a preservative and label.

Don’t forget to record details and label your ink, so you can replicate it, if you like it.

Basic equipment - we have dedicated equipment used for ink making.  They are usually easy to find second-hand in charity shops or thrift stores.

·       Gloves (optional)

·       Pestle and Mortar

·       Strainer / tea strainer

·       Coffee filter paper or muslin for final straining

·       Measuring spoon(s) (pinch, ¼ and ½ teaspoon measure)

·       Sterilised small bottles or jars with lids (to store ink), wider mouthed jars work well as they allow you to use a variety of pens and brushes. Miniature jam jars make a good option.

·       Pan (iron, steel, ceramic, avoid aluminium)

·       Jug

·       Funnel

·       Apron

·       Scissors

·       Small strips of paper to test the inks

You can also modify the colour of ink by adding a modifier or mordant such as lemon juice, soda ash, alum, copper and iron mordants.   This works better using the heated method as you will have more ink to use.  We suggest you start with a small amount and gradually increase the amount of modifier.  You may want to divide the ink solution to experiment with the different reactions you can produce from different modifiers.

If you are unsure which method will work best, try the pressed first as if that does not work you can transfer the mix to a pan and try the heated method.