DIY for Easter Egg Dye

Making Easter egg dye at home is a simple process using only a few ingredients.

Easter egg coloring has been a tradition since medieval times when English kings hid gold leaf eggs throughout the royal household. Today, families still practice the tradition as part of their Easter holiday celebrations. While there are plenty of egg-coloring kits on the market every spring, dyes can be made at home using either food coloring or natural food products such as berries.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Small pot
• Food coloring
• White vinegar
• Natural food products, such as fruit and vegetable juices
• Strainer

Instructions

Food Coloring Method

1. Boil 1/2 cup of water.

2. Add 30 to 40 drops of food coloring and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the boiling water You can alter the intensity of the hue by either decreasing or increasing the amount of food coloring. Vinegar is easily ingested and acts as a mordant, which allows the egg shells to accept and hold the dye.

3. Dip or paint the eggs once the dye mixture as cooled.

Natural Method

1. Place a handful of the natural food product in a small pot. The item will depend on the color you wish to obtain. For instance, if you want a blue dye, use canned blueberries. If you want red, place red onion skins or pomegranate juice in the pot. You can eyeball this and use your judgment as to how much of each item you'd like to use.

2. Add tap water until the water level reaches approximately 1 inch above the natural dye product. This will be roughly 1 cup of water.

3. Boil the mixture then reduce the heat to a simmer. When you get the color you want, remove the pot from the heat.

4. Strain the mixture into a separate dipping container to remove any seeds or lumps. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of liquid dye.

5. Dip or paint the eggs with the homemade natural dye once the liquid has cooled.

Tips & Warnings

• Using a white crayon, draw decorative lines on the egg before dipping it in the dye. The dye will not attach to the crayon leaving the white design on the egg.

• Wipe the colored egg with vegetable oil, using a paper towel, to make a glossier finish.

References

• Thifty Fun: How to Make Your Own Easter Egg Dye
• DLTK: Food Coloring Dyed Easter Eggs
• What's Cooking America: Easter Egg Dye

Resources

• What's Cooking America: Easter Egg Dye