Dyeing eggs has become a beloved Easter tradition amongst families for centuries. In this kid-friendly DIY, Adelaide Mitchell shares a simple method for creating beautiful, natural dyed Easter eggs using organic ingredients that are perfect for eating or adding a touch of spring to your home decor.
Dyeing eggs has become a beloved Easter tradition amongst families for centuries. One whiff of that cup of vinegar, and I am taken back to the days of bent-wire egg dippers and multi-colored fingertips.
Many of us grew up with the classic dye tablets containing the infamous chemicals YELLOW 5, RED 40, etc. Today these are deemed safe in moderation. But it stands to reason that these dyes are likely not great for our bodies.
Dyed eggs can be achieved with natural, organic products. Using them will create lovely soft tones that will make you want to use your eggs for decor. Just make sure not to eat those ones!
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR NATURAL DYED EASTER EGGS
- One Carton of White Eggs, hard-boiled and cooled
- Pot for Boiling Water
- 6 Jars or Cups (at least 16oz.), for steeping the eggs
- Strainer
- Cooling Racks
- Paper Towel, to lay under the racks to catch the drips
- Organic Produce and Spices, to create natural dyes:
- BLUE DYE: ½ of a Head of Purple Cabbage, chopped
- RED/ORANGE DYE: Yellow Onion Skins (about 8 Medium Onions)
- PINK DYE: 2-3 Beets, chopped
- PURPLE DYE: 1 Cup Frozen or Fresh Blueberries
- BROWN DYE: 2 T. Instant Coffee
- YELLOW DYE: 1 T. Turmeric, in powdered form
CREATE THE DYE
- Using a separate pot for each of your colors, place the cabbage, onion skins, beets, and blueberries into their respective pots.
Note: The coffee and turmeric dyes will be made using a different method (see step 6). - Add enough water to barely cover the surface of the produce.
- Bring to a boil. Let bubble for about 10 minutes. (Mashing the blueberries as they boil releases more of the color into the liquid).
- Remove the pots from the heat and let cool.
- Strain the liquid from each pot into respective pint-sized containers.
- For the coffee and turmeric dyes, place the grinds in the bottom of their containers. Add about 2 cups of water. Whisk. (Or to really bring out the color and avoid separation, try an immersion blender).
- Your natural dyes are now ready for the eggs.
DYEING THE EASTER EGGS
- Place 2-3 boiled eggs in each of the jars of dye. Let them soak in the liquid for 2-3 hours. If you plan on eating your eggs, make sure to let the ‘soak’ time occur in the refrigerator rather than on the counter. If you want to increase the intensity of the color, you can leave them overnight. But 2.5 hours seems to be the ideal amount of time for creating color.
Note: The blueberries dye the eggs the quickest. So if you want a soft lavender color rather than a rich purple, remove the eggs from the blueberry dye after just a few minutes. - Remove the eggs from their dyeing containers. Then place them on the cooling rack with paper towels underneath so that the excess liquid drips off.
ENJOY YOUR LOVELY DYED EGGS
Hard-boiled eggs are most delicious if eaten the very day they are boiled. But if stored in a fridge, they are good for one week. Steeping the eggs in the liquid may mean that the eggs taste a little bit like the ingredient you used. So sample the different dyed eggs to determine which flavor is the most complementary to the egg.
If you try this DIY, be sure to tag us on Instagram in your photos @joyfullifemagazine so that we can see your gorgeous Easter eggs creations!
WANT TO TRY THIS DIY FOR YOURSELF?
Our team has put together this FREE printable so you can try this Natural Dyed Easter Egg DIY on your own. Enter your name and email below and we’ll send this fun printable right over!
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