Easter is just around the corner. Are you ready? At our home, dyeing Easter eggs is one of our favorite traditions. But... instead of dyes made up of chemicals, preservatives, and who knows what else, we use several all-natural dyes that are 100% fun and 100% safe - kid-tested and mom-approved :-)
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Let's Get Cookin'!
This weekend, Maelee (our media lead) helped me dye some eggs... naturally! We had so much fun testing out different methods, and we've written up our favorites below. Try them, and tag us in any pics you post!
In the below 'recipes,' we use vinegar a lot. Why? Because it helps the color spread evenly over the egg. Also, when we call for boiling water in a few recipes, feel free to use your microwave instead of the stove! #savetime Paper towels are needed to place the wet eggs on until dry.
In the below 'recipes,' we use vinegar a lot. Why? Because it helps the color spread evenly over the egg. Also, when we call for boiling water in a few recipes, feel free to use your microwave instead of the stove! #savetime Paper towels are needed to place the wet eggs on until dry.
1. Paprika
Paprika! Add 2 Tbsp. of Paprika to 1 cup of boiling water and add 2 tsp. of white vinegar. These eggs take about an hour to dye, but they sure are beautiful. The Paprika seasoning leaves little dots covering the egg, making them look oh-so-natural and unique! If these specks aren't your thing, just wipe them off when the eggs are still wet.
2. Red Cabbage
This one holds a surprise...! To make these eggs, chop a 1/4 head of red cabbage into chunks. Bring 2 cups of water and cabbage to a boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain the cabbage and add 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar. This dye will be warm, but that's ok! The color will be... surprisingly... a beautiful blue!
3. Red Onion
To make these eggs, peel the skin from a few red onions and simmer in 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes. You'll notice the water will become very dark. Strain the water, and add 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar. Add in the eggs, and they'll become a pale orange color that get darker over time. Be careful though! The dye works best when the water is hot, but curious little fingers will get burned.
4. Spinach Leaves
Tear or cut your spinach leaves into small pieces. Add about 1 cup of water and cook until simmering. Stir and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the water turns green. Cool the water for a few minutes, then carefully add the eggs, allowing the water and spinach to completely cover eggs. Soak for several hours. These eggs have a light sage color.
5. Grape Juice
This one was one of our favorites. Grape juice takes a while to dye... but creates a beautiful surprise. Put the grape juice in a cup with the egg so that it just covers the egg. As the egg soaks, it became darker. This one sat overnight in the fridge. The next day, the color virtually wiped off to give the egg a mottled look. So cool!
 Thanks to my great friend, Deborah, for letting me borrow her egg plate! | 1 - Paprika 2 - Red Cabbage (compare to 12) 3 - Red Onion 4 - Spinach Leaves 5 - Grape Juice 6 - Turmeric (compare to 11) 7 - Yellow Onion 8 - Red Wine 9 - Blueberries 10 - Beet Juice 11 - Turmeric (compare to 6) 12 - Red Cabbage (compare to 2) |
6. Turmeric
These lovely guys are made the exact same way as the paprika eggs, and they come out a rich mustard-yellow - perfect for Easter. To make them, add 2 Tbsp. of turmeric into 1 cup of boiling water and 2 tsp. of white vinegar. These little beauties take only about 20 minutes to get a deep yellow color. As you leave them in there, they'll get richer and richer, so pull them out when they've reached the desired color.
7. Yellow Onion
To make these eggs, peel the skin from a few yellow onions and simmer in 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes. You'll notice the water becoming very yellow. Once the desired color is reached, strain the water, and add 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar. They'll become a pale yellow color and get darker as they soak. This dye works best when it is warm.
8. Red Wine
This dye takes the longest to set, but it is always a favorite because it's a beautiful dark color! Pour about a cup and a half of red wine into a cup to just cover the egg. Let sit for an hour or more (or overnight). The color will become pink-red and will become darker over time. Remove from the wine when desired color is reached. Our egg sat overnight in the fridge to get that dark crimson color. It even has a sparkle to it!
9. Blueberries
We're switching it up! This time, you'll need a cup of frozen blueberries. Add the blueberries to a cup, and pour in some water to cover the egg. As the blueberries thaw, the water will become dark blue. Strain the blueberries, and add 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar. In about 30 minutes, the eggs will be a lovely sky blue, and they'll become darker over time. We left them in the fridge overnight for the color we got!
10. Beet Juice
We used the juice from a can of sliced beets. Pour the juice into a cup, add an egg, and make sure it is completely covered. Allow to soak for several hours or overnight. We were surprised to see that the color came out a light speckled tan, not at all the pink we were expecting!
Extra Tips!
If you want to add some designs to the eggs, wrap a rubber band around the eggs and place into the dye. They'll come out with a tie-dye look. If your kids want to show off their creative side, they can draw on the eggs with white crayon before placing in the dye. The wax will leave the drawing white, yet still dye the egg.
Remember to store your eggs in the refrigerator once you have them all colored until you enjoy eating them!
Remember to store your eggs in the refrigerator once you have them all colored until you enjoy eating them!
Post Your Pics!
We had fun dyeing Easter eggs the natural way, and we hope you can have some cooking and dyeing fun with the kids! Post your pics on social media and tag us. We'd love to see what you create #fromtheheart.
Happy Easter!
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