How to Make Organic Easter Egg Dyes

Creating homemade, eco-friendly Easter egg dye is a simple process. The resulting eggs sport an abundance of beautiful, natural hues, more subtle and varied than the bright, artificial colors of chemical dyes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 dozen eggs Water Vinegar Dye ingredients (varies; see below) Cups or bowls capable of holding 2 inches of liquid

1. Hard-boil a dozen eggs and allow them to cool completely.

2. Gather your dye ingredients. The exact ingredients vary based on the colors and color intensity you desire:
   
   Red -- Red onion skins or cherry juice concentrate
   Pink -- Beet juice; cranberry juice concentrate
   Yellow -- Orange or lemon peels; tumeric; cumin
   Orange -- Yellow onion skins; paprika
   Green -- Spinach
   Purple -- Grape juice concentrate
   Blue -- Canned blueberries or blueberry juice concentrate
   Brown -- Brewed coffee or tea
   
   Use at least 1 cup of liquid or leafy ingredients, or at least 1 tablespoon of spice ingredients.

3. Prepare each dye by placing 4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and select dye ingredients into a saucepan, bringing the mixture to a boil and then simmering for 25 minutes.

4. Strain each dye and allow the liquid to cool completely. Discard the ingredients.

5. Steep the eggs in the dye until the desired color is achieved.

Tips & Warnings

• Natural dyes do not stain as quickly as chemical dyes, so you may have to keep the eggs submerged overnight. Be sure to cover and refrigerate your containers if you do. Experiment with other ingredients to find your own natural colors.
• Because some liquid seeps into the eggshell, dyed eggs sometimes take on the flavor of their ingredients.