Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs


Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs 


Dyeing eggs with vegetable materials takes more time than using commercial egg dyes, but it 



is truly amazing to see the colors hidden in the plants around us! Here are some ideas for 
 


getting started, but experiment and be creative with the colors provided by Mother Nature.





General Directions


1. Wash and rinse eggs before dyeing to remove any oil or coating which may prevent the dye 

     
from sticking.
 


2. Put plant material in a small saucepan. Use enamel, glass, or Teflon, as metals will affect the 

   
colors of the dyes.
 


3. Add just enough water to cover plant material. Add 4 



Tablespoons of vinegar and 2 Tablespoons salt and boil for 



30 minutes



4. You can now add eggs and more water if needed to 



cover. Continue boiling to use the hot dyeing technique or 



remove from heat and let cool to use 



cool dyeing technique.



Techniques:

 


Boiling eggs in the dye creates darker colors. For more color


allow eggs to soak in dye overnight.
 




Cold dipping produces soft translucent shades. The eggs 


and dyes are boiled separately and the eggs are placed in


dye after both have cooled. Rotate eggs to avoid uneven     


coloring.


 
Batik eggs are multi-colored. Cut out designs from masking 


tape or use vinyl stickers to cover parts of the egg. Dip eggs 


into dye. Remove from dye and blot any drips. Remove tape 


when eggs are dry. Apply more covering and repeat the 


process. 



Start with the lightest color progress to the darker. If you 


want to keep an area a certain color, you need to keep it 


covered. 



Use crayons or paraffin to create designs or drip melted wax 

to cover areas of the egg.


To create half and half eggs dye entire egg in a boiling 


bath. Place egg and cold dye in a small cup. Prop the egg 


against the cup to allow only half the egg to be in the dye. 


The second color needs to be darker. 






Onion wraps: Rub eggs with vinegar and wrap in 


onion skins. Secure the skins with cotton string, 


dental floss or narrow rubber bands and boil. Use 


many layers of onion skin to create a deep and rich color. Pre-dampening the 


skins helps them to stick to the eggs.

 


Plaids and stripes: Dye eggs wrapped with rubber bands. Allow to dry and r


emove rubber bands. Wrap with more rubber bands and dye with another 


color. Repeat until you have achieved desired result.

 



Tips: Try rubbing your eggs gently under warm 


running water after removing from dye bath to create 


different effects. After your eggs dry, rub with 


vegetable oil and a soft cloth to obtain a deep and 


glossy finish.



Colors  
  • Brick red - red onion skins, paprika, chili powder
  • Lavender, purple - fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Yellow - generous amount turmeric
  • Rich brown - ground coffee or black tea leaves
  • Green - spinach, chopped carrots, carrot tops, chopped red cabbage
  • Blue - 4-6 cups chopped rd cabbage. Strain and use as a cold dye, overnight
  • Chartreuse - Boil in turmeric then cold dye in red cabbage
  • Soft brownish pink - 1-2 cups grated beets. Boil eggs in dye then let sit overnight
  • Yellow orange - brown onion skins
  FROM: http://www.wildoats.com/u/General100614print/

Coloring your Easter Eggs Naturally      Web Exclusive By Rhiannon Hull, editor of ecomama.sqarespace.com, and greenhelps.org     It's almost time to spend a colorful afternoon with your kids creating beautiful Easter eggs. Did you consider that you could avoid unnatural food coloring and color your eggs by using natural ingredients, such as beets and tea? Some of the materials I will list, such as lemon peels, must be boiled first, and others, such as berry juice, do not. Coloring eggs naturally isn't much harder than using an Easter egg coloring kit, and you can teach your kids the wonders that food can create besides just eating it. Here is a list of natural dyes organized by color: Green: Boiled spinach leaves Blue: Frozen or canned blueberries and red cabbage leaves, both boiled Purple: Hibiscus tea, grape juice (organic), and skins from boiled red onions Red: Fresh beets boiled, red wine, raspberries, strawberries, or cranberries boiled, cranberry juice, boiled red onion skins, wine Yellow: Boiled lemon peels, ground cumin or turmeric boiled, boiled carrots, boiled orange, or lemon peels Orange: Orange juice, paprika, or boiled yellow onion skins Brown: Strong coffee, any black tea Steps to dye your Easter eggs: For ingredients that need boiling:
1. Place your eggs in a pot of water, and bring to a boil. Turn heat off and cover for 15 minutes.
2. Place eggs in cold water to cool.
3. Place whatever ingredient you are choosing to work with (about two cups) in the saucepan and cover with water by one inch, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and let simmer until the desired color is reached.
5. Strain the concoction so that you catch the colored water in a bowl, and add three teaspoons of vinegar for each cup of liquid.
6. Dye your eggs just as you would with conventional dyes.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)