3821 — Straw
Oranges family#E3B044
Below: DMC 3821 (Straw), a medium-light, vivid orange shade with hex #E3B044 and RGB 227, 176, 68. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colors matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About DMC 3821
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Metallic Mango
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 3821
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colors
Closest match to DMC 3821 in 67 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 color distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.
More stranded cotton
Hand-dyed & overdyed
Silk
Wool for needlepoint
Metallic, rayon & specialty
Other threads & beads
Fuse beads
Yarn for crochet & knitting
Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 3821 (Straw) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 3821
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 3821
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
With its high saturation, DMC 3821 (Straw) draws the eye — a natural pick for focal motifs, small pops of color, and details you want to read first.
DMC 3821 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 Straw turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3821, Diamond Drills USA DMC3821. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3821 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 3821
DMC threads that pair well with 3821, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Oranges Family
DMC3821 in context with nearby shades from the oranges color family.
About DMC 3821
Known as Straw, DMC 3821 is a medium-light, vivid shade sitting in the oranges family with golden orange tones. The crisp and versatile mood of this color makes it a natural fit for seasonal designs and pumpkins. Expect to see it used in marigolds and fall wreaths across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 3821 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 3821 is Straw — a medium-light orange thread (hex #E3B044, RGB 227, 176, 68). It shows up most in monarch butterflies and persimmon patterns.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 3821?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 3821 (Straw) is Anchor 297 (Golden Yellow Medium) with a 80% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 302 (Burnt Orange Light, 78%) and Anchor 306 (Gold, 74%).
Which DMC threads are close to 3821?
The closest DMC threads to 3821 are 728 Golden Yellow (ΔE 3.85), 725 Topaz (ΔE 4.83), and 676 Old Gold light (ΔE 5.32). These are useful substitutes when 3821 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 3821 good for?
DMC 3821 (Straw) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring monarch butterflies, persimmon patterns, autumn leaves, sunsets. 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 3821.
What fabric color works best with DMC 3821 (Straw)?
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, 3821 has a contrast ratio of about 2:1 on white fabric and 10.6:1 on black. As a warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.
Does DMC 3821 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Light Effects E3821. The base shade is matched across the lines, but the fiber changes the look: Satin is a high-sheen rayon, Light Effects is a metallic polyester most people blend one strand at a time, and Étoile is cotton with a sparkle filament that stitches like ordinary floss.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 3821?
Diamond Dotz D3821 and Diamond Drills USA DMC3821 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3821 is this color regardless of drill brand — though each manufacturer dyes to the reference in its own batches, so avoid mixing brands inside one large block.
Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 3821?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Dimensions 12875 Old Gold medium (94%), Kreinik Silk Mori 2014 Medium Gold (94%), Paternayan 1726 Autumn Yellow (93%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.