Oak galls are very high in tannins, so they’re both a mordant and a natural dye. It all depends on how you process them. If you’re anything like me you’ve been collecting and admiring them over the past weeks.

I love oak galls so much. They come in so many shapes and sizes and are home to the California gall wasp. It actually looks more like an amber-colored fly more than a wasp. I gathered these from the same Valley Oak just up the road from my forest. Sun exposure, environment, and age effects the color. The pale cream with soft blush marks is my favorite.