How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally

There are many kitchen items you have at home that can be use to dye Easter eggs naturally. This is a great thing to do as a project with your kids. It does not even need to be Easter to have fun dying eggs. Try getting different shades of green for St. Patrick's Day.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   With all natural dyes adding a few table spoons of white vinegar to the water will help the dye set better. Wash the hard boiled eggs first with warm water and maybe a drop of dish soap to remove oils that will stop the dye.

2. A very fun natural dye method is to wrap the egg in red or yellow onion skin. First wipe the egg with white vinegar. Roll it in onion skin and secure the ends with rubber bands or string like a tomale. You can pre boil the egg but you don't need to. Boil the egg with the onion wrapped around it. This will create some cool patterns on the egg. It will not hurt to let the egg sit in the hot water a while after boiling to darken the dye color. Yellow onion skins turn the egg a light orange color or pale yellow and the red onion skins will create a violet blue.

3. 

   Natural dyes are not as vibrant or bright as store dyes in general but you will get some very fun colors and enjoy the process. here are some natural substances and the color they will dye the egg.

4. For blue use blueberry juice or canned blueberries. Red cabbage leaves or purple grape juice work as well. The more concentrated the mix the darker the color. Longer boil time will create darker egg colors as well. Experiment.

5. 

   Pink to red can be made with beets grated and boiled, canned beet juice, raspberries, red currants, red onion skin, dried hibiscus flowers (used as tea) or red grape juice. Cranberry juice and other red to purple juices will work. If it will stain your kid's clothing it probably will work for eggs.

6. Green can be made with chopped spinach leaves or liquid chlorophyll. Lighter green or yellow spring green can be achieved with yellow delicious apple peels. I have not tried other apple peel colors but experiment with your eggs.

7. Brown can be made with strong coffee, instant coffee grounds, or black tea. Boiled black walnut husks work as well. English walnut husks produce a light color. Husks are the part around the shell when they are on the tree.

8. For light yellow try boiled carrots and carrot tops, celery seed, ground cumin (dill seed) or turmeric or saffron.

Tips & Warnings

• Just like painting mixing ingredients will create different colors. Too many colors makes muddied brown.
• If it will dye an Easter egg it will stain clothing. Provide kids with aprons.

[prism]

on 4/12/2009 Great suggestions! I hadn't thought of hibiscus flowers and happen to have some on hand so I think we will add that one to our list to try. Thanks!

[MI-Sandi]

on 4/5/2009 5* Great tips on How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally. I will have to try some!

[hdubs]

on 3/15/2009 This is a really neat idea, natural dyes are definitely worth looking into--thanks!

[guitarguy]

on 3/11/2009 Unnatural dies freak me out. What is that powdered stuff anyway. I looked into this a while back, but never did it. Maybe this year we will.

[MotherDove]

on 3/9/2009 Cool idea - but does it change the flavor of the egg? Either way, it's a great way to get the "almost too old for this" pre-teens involved! Thankx