Dye Easter Eggs using Natural Products

Tired of dyeing eggs with unnatural chemicals? It is possible to dye your own with 100% natural ingredients. Chances are, you already have many of these ingredients in your kitchen. From coffee, blueberries, beets, and spinach, there are many ingredients that yield bright and naturally dyed eggs.

Steps

Preparing to Dye

1. Buy large eggs. The colors will turn out the best on white eggs, but brown eggs work too if you want more muted colors. The amount you need depends on how many eggs you want to dye.
2. Hard boil your eggs. Most people prefer to hard boil their eggs in preparation for dyeing. It is also an option to blow the content out of raw eggs and dry the shells.
   • To use dry shells, use a pin to poke a hole that is slightly larger than the end of a straw. Hold the egg over a bowl, take a straw, insert it into the hole, and blow into the straw so that the yolk comes out completely. Rinse the shell, and allow it to dry.
3. Wash the eggs. Gently wash your eggs with castile soap. Allow them to dry. Washing them will get rid of any residue that affects the coloring of the dye.

Choosing the Dye Ingredients

1. Make your dye with natural ingredients. Think about what colors you would like to dye your eggs. You will need to make a trip to the grocery store or raid your kitchen to find ingredients for the colors of your choice.
2. Use beets to dye your eggs red. Add two cups of grated beet to two cups of water. If you would like a brick red color, put three or more tablespoons of paprika, and dissolve it in one cup of water.
3. Make yellow or gold dye with onion skin. Take two handfuls of yellow or brown onion skin and mix them with two cups of water.
   • To make rich yellow, use one large, chopped carrot and mix it with one cup of water.
   • If you would like a light yellow dye, use four bags of chamomile tea and mix it with one cup of water.
4. Use spinach, grass, or red onions to make green dye. Add up to four cups of spinach or grass to four cups of water. You can also use six red onion skins added to two cups of water to make red dye.
5. Make blue dye out of red cabbage or blueberries. Add two cups of shredded red cabbage to one cup of water. Note: this only works with white eggs. Brown eggs will turn green.
   • Take one pound of frozen blueberries and mix it with two cups of water to produce a light, marble blue.
6. Use four tablespoons of chili powder mixed with one cup of water to make orange dye.
   • For a pale shade of orange, use two tablespoons of paprika, and dissolve it in one cup of water.
7. Use one quart of full strength cranberry juice to make a light pink dye. For dark pink, use one quart of beet juice diluted with water.
8. Make brown dye with one quart of strong coffee. Or, mix two tablespoons of dill seed in one cup of water.
9. Make purple dye with red wine or grape juice. Use two cups of red wine to make dark purple dye. The wine must be full strength or diluted with water.
   • For a lavender color, use one cup of grape juice mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar.

Decorating the Eggs

1. Use white crayons to decorate your eggs. There are several ways to add decoration to your eggs before dyeing them. One option is to use a white, wax crayon and draw on your egg. The wax does not absorb the color, so your design will show through on your dyed egg.
2. Make a tie-dye egg with rubber bands. Carefully wrap your egg with rubber bands of different widths. Make sure to leave shell exposed, and you will end up with a tie-dyed egg after the dyeing process.
3. Get a spotty or mottled effect by using all of the ingredients at once. This method of decoration might be best for your last few eggs. Use your leftover ingredients and mix them together in the pan to get a blotchy, multicolored egg.

Dyeing the Eggs

1. Choose your first color. Each dye needs to be made separately. The same pan can be used, but you will need to wash the pan before the next dye.
2. Make the dye with water and vinegar. Use one cup of vinegar per each cup ingredients. Take your chosen ingredient with the specified amount of water it calls for. For example, 4 tablespoons of chili powder per cup of water for orange. Put all ingredients into a non-metal pan.
   • The acidity in vinegar creates the ideal conditions for the dye. Eggs dyed with vinegar are the brightest.
3. Place the egg or eggs into the pan. The ingredient of your choice, water, and vinegar should already be in the pan. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Reduce to simmer once the water is boiling. Allow the water to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, remove the pot from the burner.
5. Remove the eggs with a spoon. Dab the excess dye off of the eggs with a paper towel. Place the eggs on a drying rack. Only dab the excess dye off of the eggs if you are satisfied with the color. If not, proceed to the next step.
   • You can get a deeper color by allowing the eggs to cool in the pan before placing them on the drying rack.
6. Deepen the color by refrigerating the eggs. Take the cool eggs and place them in a bowl. Take a strainer, and strain the dye water. Pour the dye water over the eggs and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
7. Use olive oil or vegetable oil to add shine. Naturally dyed eggs have a matte finish. Put a few drops of olive oil or vegetable oil on the eggs and polish with a cloth for a shiny finish.

Tips

• Use a spoon to get the eggs into the water and out of it, otherwise either your fingers or your eggs will be damaged.
• Wait some time after removing the eggs from the water. The color might get washed off if you remove them too soon.
• Store-bought eggs can be hard-boiled immediately. You will need to wait a week before hard-boiling eggs bought from a farmer.
• If you plan on using your eggs as decorations, display them for one or two hours at room temperature.

Warnings

• Don't use anything that might be dangerous if eaten. There might be a tiny crack in the shell through which the color could get in contact with the actual egg white and yolk.
• If you plan on eating your hard-boiled eggs, make sure to consume them within a week.
• Be careful around a hot stove.

Things You'll Need

• Eggs
• Dyeing materials
• Vinegar
• Castile soap
• At least one pot
• A spoon
• A clock/timer to check the boiling time

Related Articles

• Fold a Rabbit Wash Cloth

References

See also

• Surprise Your Sweetheart in a Small Space
• Survive and Thrive in Your First Organic Chemistry Class
• Make Vanilla Sugar
• Plan a Valentines Day Date in Elementary School
• Increase Your Password Security in Windows 2000
• Play Mental Tic Tac Toe
• Avoid Harming Your Puppy
• Maintain Good Credit
• Avoid Getting Into an Argument over Harry Potter
• Make Your Facebook Page Viral

Read more ...

What links here

• Buy Eggs
• Dye Eggs With Onion Skins
• Make Batik Eggs
• Make LEGO Eggs for Easter
• Make Natural Dyes
• Plan Easter Games for a Children's Easter Party