Making Black Walnut Ink

I have read of making a lovely, brown ink purely from the nuts of the Black Walnut tree, and have been curious to try it.  I recently found a mature Black Walnut tree whose nuts had been pilfered by squirrels.  

The hungry squirrels sat at the base of the tree to peel off the outer hull of the walnuts in search of the nut within.  They left behind a big stockpile of the part I needed -- the hulls.

All I had to do was don some latex gloves to keep my hands from getting stained, and collect a bucket full of the dark dye stuff.

It's also a good idea to wear gloves to protect your skin as some people get a rash.  I didn't have any ill effects. 

I found an old pot that I use only for art projects and filled it with the hull pieces, topped them off with water and set it to simmer for an hour or so.

I stirred the pot with a wooden paint stirring stick, and had to be careful to keep the pot from boiling over and splattering the kitchen with dark goo.  I kept the vent fan running and the room ventilated.  

If you try this, keep an eye on your pot to keep the water from boiling off and burning the walnut hulls or the ink.

I tested the ink on watercolor paper (first photo) and pulled the concoction off the stove when I was happy with the color.  Using an old pillowcase, I strained the ink from the Black Walnut hulls, and collected the liquid in a bucket.

I strained the ink outdoors to keep from staining my kitchen counters and floors.

You can see the earthy, brown color of the ink here in the bottom of the pot.

I cleaned out the pot and returned the liquid to it to cook it down a bit, and condense the liquid into a darker ink.

As you can see, Black Walnut ink also dyes cloth!  If you try this project, make sure to wear old clothes and protect your carpet, counter, floor, etc. from being stained.  Also take care not to discard the hulls in your garden as they can kill grass and other plants.  

Here's a test of the ink after I cooked it down a bit.  I like the darker, richer colors of the ink after it was condensed.

I used the ink right away to write a letter to a friend.  A simple dip calligraphy pen worked beautifully.

The ink darkens as it dries.

After the ink cooled, I poured the ink into jars, and added a capful of vodka to each half pint to keep mold from growing in the ink.

I have a few artist friends I plan on giving some ink to.  A simple, inexpensive gift that invites creativity.

If this sounds like an exciting project to you, 

I recommend you read The Organic Artist, by Nick Neddo. He provides instructions and inspiration for making Black Walnut ink and a variety of other art supplies for free directly from nature.

Wishing you many happy art adventures!

Copyright 2023 Betsy Bangley