DMC Mouliné Spécial

06 — Medium Light Driftwood

Browns family

Looking up DMC 06? It's Medium Light Driftwood, a medium-light brown shade (#B4A293 / RGB 180, 162, 147). Scroll down for Crescent Colors, Anchor, and Madeira equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close DMC alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex
#B4A293
RGB
180, 162, 147
HSL
27°, 18%, 64%
Lab
67.8, 4.1, 10.2
Lightness
64%
Light
Saturation
18%
Neutral
Hue
27°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for DMC 06

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity.How matching works

DMC 06Medium Light Driftwood

Closest match to DMC 06 in 43 more brands

The single nearest shade in every other palette we hold, from needlepoint silks and wools to fuse beads and yarn. Match quality is perceptual colour distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.

More stranded cotton

Ariadna180688% Good
Gamma3220 бежевый87% Good
PNK Kirov640187% Good
Dimensions18900 Beaver Grey medium82% Fair
Finca8567 Beaver Grey medium82% Fair
Luca-S44081% Fair
Riolis90378% Fair

Hand-dyed & overdyed

Needle Necessities22 Driftwood91% Good
Caron022 Smoke89% Good
ThreadworX1062 Pastel Sunset87% Good
Olde Willow101 Midsummer Night's Dream85% Good
Classic Colorworks SilkHeirloom Lace80% Fair
The Gentle Art1130 Wood Smoke80% Fair
The Gentle Art Simply Shaker7085 Moonlit Path72% Approx
Dinky Dyes12 Lemon Sherbet70% Approx
Crescent Colors Silk047 Sandy Beach66% Approx

Silk

Kreinik Silk Mori7025 Parchment89% Good
Kimono Silk366 Chopsticks87% Good
Eterna Silk178 Shell Gray80% Fair
Soie d'Alger3412 Shell Grey light74% Approx
Silk and Ivory039 Butter Rum73% Approx
Vineyard Silk126 Shell63% Approx
YLI Silk239 Natural45% Approx

Wool for needlepoint

Appleton181 Chocolate81% Fair

Metallic, rayon & specialty

Petite Treasure BraidPB54 Vatican Gold95% Best
Rainbow GalleryFT1 Mocha89% Good
Kreinik4003 Ginseng Gold81% Fair
Madeira Rayon1060 Platinum74% Approx
Anchor Marlitt872 Grey Brown very light66% Approx
Coats Rayon155 Dogwood63% Approx
Glissen Gloss001 Multi White33% Approx

Other threads & beads

Planet Earth Pepperpot042 spritzer85% Good
Coats Puppets7388 7388Puppets85% Good
Planet Earth103 warmth68% Approx
Mill Hill Beads0300856% Approx

Fuse beads

CocoY0794% Best
MARDM794% Best
PerlerP205 Fawn63% Approx
Artkal SS42 Silver57% Approx
HamaH112 Blush47% Approx

Yarn for crochet & knitting

Red Heart Super Saver0334 Buff76% Fair
Bernat Super Value53041 Clay76% Fair
Caron One Pound10652 Truffle62% Approx

Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood) in any brand.

Similar DMC Colors to 06

Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Working with DMC 06

On white fabric
2.5:1
On dark fabric
8.5:1
Temperature
soft warm
Closest to
tan

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Skin tones & portraits

DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood) falls where flesh tones live; portrait and figure charts lean on shades like it, graded against nearby lighter and darker threads for natural shadow.

DMC 06 in other DMC lines

DMC reuses base numbers across its specialty lines, so the same shade can exist as a satin, a metallic, or a sparkle floss under a prefixed code. Here is where Medium Light Driftwood turns up.

DMC 06 is a Mouliné Spécial-only number: there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile version of this shade. For a sheen or sparkle in the same tone, blend one strand of the nearest metallic with two strands of DMC 06.

Diamond painting: 06 is not in the standard drill set, so kits rarely call for it. Loose-drill shops that pour to DMC numbers are the usual source if a chart does.

Color Harmonies for DMC 06

DMC threads that pair well with 06, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Browns Family

DMC 06 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

About DMC 06

Known as Medium Light Driftwood, DMC 06 is a medium-light, muted shade sitting in the browns family with earthy sienna tones. Expect a restrained and versatile look that suits warm outlines, wooden textures, and similar motifs. Cross stitch enthusiasts often reach for this thread when stitching coffee themes or rustic designs.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 06 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 06 is Medium Light Driftwood — a medium-light brown thread (hex #B4A293, RGB 180, 162, 147). It shows up most in bark patterns and gingerbread themes.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 06?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood) is Anchor 391 (Beige Grey Medium) with a 85% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 831 (Drab Brown Light, 75%) and Anchor 388 (Beige Brown Light, 75%).

Which DMC threads are close to 06?

The closest DMC threads to 06 are 05 Light Driftwood (ΔE 4.49), 453 Shell Grey light (ΔE 5.19), and 842 Beige Brown very light (ΔE 5.27). These are useful substitutes when 06 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 06 good for?

DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring bark patterns, gingerbread themes, tree trunks, earth tones. Its medium-light tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 06.

What fabric color works best with DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood)?

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 06 has a contrast ratio of about 2.5:1 on white fabric and 8.5:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 06?

No. DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood) exists only as Mouliné Spécial six-strand cotton — there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile code for it. For a matching shine, blend one strand of the nearest Light Effects colour with two strands of the cotton.

Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 06?

Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Petite Treasure Braid PB54 Vatican Gold (95%), Coco Y07 (94%), MARD M7 (94%). Percentages are perceptual colour distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.