Natural Egg Dyes and Easter Tips

As much as I like these ideas it seems like it will cost me about $50 to dye a dozen eggs – and then I will still have to make the little airplane stands myself (from in bleached dye free construction paper, of course). Perhaps Paas has a natural version and I could walk the middle ground?

Natural Egg Dyes

Did you know that you can make your own egg dyes using natural ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and spices? Experimenting and creating your own dyes makes the activity more interactive and exciting for kids and grown-ups alike! The resulting eggs have a much more organic and subtle appearance than the Technicolor tones yielded from traditional egg-dying kits. Eggs can be cold dipped in the dye solution or boiled in it for more saturated color. Your kitchen is full of natural dyes-here are a few to try:

• Chopped red cabbage (3-4 cups) for violet-blue
• Chopped beets (3-4 cups) for magenta-pink
• A few tablespoons of turmeric for golden-yellow
• Brewed coffee (3-4 cups) for honey-tan
Put your dye agent along with 1 quart water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool and then strain the solution into a bowl to cold dip your hard-boiled eggs- letting them sit as long as desired for depth of color: at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight in the refrigerator. Or add uncooked eggs to the pot after the dye is prepared and continue boiling for 30 minutes.

More Ideas…

For instructions to using the table below see…http://twomenandalittlefarm.blogspot.com/2011/04/dyeing-easter-eggs-natural-way.html