About

Botanical Inks is a natural dye house offering a kind and gentle approach to colour—working in harmony with the natural systems of the world.

We provide bespoke natural dye services for brands while creating in-house products that demonstrate the potential of scaled-up, soil-to-soil textile systems.

Our signature initiative, the Bristol Cloth project, presents a pioneering model of bio-regional, sustainable production.

We also offer workshops and training for creatives eager to explore natural dye techniques, alongside consulting services to help brands transition to more sustainable practices.

Botanical Inks offers the following services:

Botanical Inks offers:

• Natural dye house: Based in Devon, South West England, delivering small- and large-scale dyeing of yarn, thread, cloth (piece and roll), and garments.

• Books: Authored by Babs Behan and published by Quadrille Books (2018 & 2023).

• Consultancy: Expertise in natural dyeing and soil-to-soil textile production systems.

• Corporate events: Workshops, product launches, and bespoke experiences.

• Creative workshops: Available online and in-person for public and private groups.

• Private tuition: Flexible sessions online, at our Devon studio, or your chosen location.

• Online shop: Natural dye supplies, kits, books, Bristol Cloth woven scarves & throws, plus curated collections of natural dye goods, clothing, accessories, and gifts.

• Bristol Cloth: New edition of scarves and throws launching Autumn 2025.

Artist Bio

Babs Behan is a natural dye artist, author, and founder of Botanical Inks and Bristol Cloth — pioneering projects deeply rooted in regenerative textile traditions, soil-to-soil sustainability, and the poetic power of plant colour.

Working with foraged and responsibly cultivated dye plants, Babs creates textiles that honour the rhythms of the land and the stories woven into every thread. Her practice evolved after leaving university to explore heritage natural dye traditions worldwide, before focusing on local colour and fibre sources across the British Isles.

Babs has shared her craft widely, working with leading creative institutions and diverse audiences including Soho House, Ace Hotel, Hauser + Wirth, Plymouth Arts University, and Facebook London.

Recognised as a leader in her field, Babs was approached by Quadrille Books (Hardie Grant) to author a natural dyeing book, which has become a bestseller and been translated into French, German, and Chinese — reaching audiences across the UK, Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Her Bristol Cloth project — featured on BBC News, BBC Countryfile, and Sky News — demonstrates a working model of relocalised, soil-to-soil textile production in the UK. Since its 2018 launch, hundreds have contributed to raising over £20k for the first edition, followed by multiple editions including a British Cashmere special.

Building on this success, Babs released her second book edition, Botanical Dyes (2023), and delivered a TEDx talk in 2021 on soil-to-soil textiles.

Drawing on seven years of sensory herbalism, Babs blends regenerative textiles, natural dye innovation, and seasonal ritual to create work that connects people, process, and place.

A passionate educator and internationally published author, she leads workshops blending art, ecology, and the quiet joy of making. Recent collaborations with Re:Vivo and Purdeys focus on slower, more meaningful creative practices.

Clients include: the Saatchi Gallery, Tate Museum, Facebook London, Jo Malone, V&A Museum, Hauser + Wirth, Moet Chandon, George at Asda, Re:Vivo, Purdeys. Marks and Spencers, Fatface, Lacoste, Lily Cole, Ace Hotel, The Newt In Somerset, Soho Farmhouse, Lush LTD, Barbican Centre, Selvedge Magazine & Fashion and Textiles Museum London amongst many others.

Babs’s natural dye work has been featured at the Venice Biennale and in publications such as Vogue, BBC Countryfile, Sky News, BBC News, The Financial Times, The Guardian, Period Living Magazine, Hole & Corner Magazine, Selvedge Magazine, Ernest Magazine, and Country Homes & Interiors.

Our Vision

Rooted in the South West of England, Babs’s work sparks a movement for global environmental and cultural regeneration — starting bio-regionally and expanding worldwide.

Committed to non-toxic, bio-regional systems across fashion, textiles, and art, she shares knowledge and skills to detoxify these industries collectively.

Through natural dyeing, she trains environmental visionaries, cultural disruptors, and fashion activists dedicated to fair, sustainable, and chemical-free practices.

Our Values

We reject harmful synthetics at every stage — from farming to finishing — honoring everyone in the supply chain with fair pay and respect. We collaborate exclusively with growers and producers who uphold the highest standards of land stewardship and animal welfare.

By using regenerative, holistically farmed materials safe for the earth and its people, we offer a genuine alternative to petrochemical-driven fashion and fast consumerism.

Natural dyeing reconnects us to nature, encouraging a slower, more respectful way of living rooted in awareness, care, and sustainability.

Materials & Process

Our products are 100% natural, non-toxic, and free from synthetic chemicals or heavy metals — setting a new standard in natural dye artistry.

We avoid man-made fibres such as Tencel, viscose, and rayon, and never use fibres grown or processed with synthetic chemicals or bleach.

Colour is sourced from wildcrafted plants, organic produce, recycled food and farm waste, alongside plant-based mordants, modifiers, and binders. We also collaborate with artisan mills across the UK to source responsibly.

The Bristol Cloth exemplifies our bio-regional, soil-to-soil system — crafted from local, unbleached, responsibly sourced fibres including regenerative wool from the Mendips, holistic cashmere from Devon, and organic peace silk from Hertfordshire.