What a Way to Dye!

Easter is only a few weeks ago and you are probably going to dye some eggs for your baskets. I was remembering a method of dying that I did sometimes with your mom or dad when they were young. Instead of using the dyes that are from a store, we used natural dyes. Here are some ideas if you want to try dying eggs this way.

Boil the eggs and let them cool. You can draw on the eggs with a crayon (white will not show) or place rubber bands around the eggs for interesting effects.

Boil 1 c. water, 1-2 Tb white vinegar, and the ingredients for the color you want to dye. Carefully place the eggs in the pan and lower the heat to simmer. Leave the eggs in the water until they are the intensity of color you want.

Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place in an empty egg carton or paper towel to dry. You can dab the wet egg with a sponge to get a textured look. The eggs won't be glossy; you can "polish" them by rubbing cooled eggs with a light coat of oil.

Here is a chart telling you what to use for the colors:

lavender: small amount of purple grape juice

violet blue: small amount of red onion skins

blue: red cabbage leaves OR
canned or frozen blueberries OR
purple grape juice

green: spinach leaves

green-yellow: yellow delicious apple peels

yellow: orange peels OR lemon peels OR
carrot tops OR
celery seed OR
ground cumin OR ground tumeric OR
chamomile tea

golden brown: dill seeds

brown: black walnut shells

orange: yellow onion skins OR
cooked carrots OR
chili powder OR paprika

pink: beets OR
cranberies OR juice OR
raspberries OR
red grape juice OR
juice from pickled beets

red: lots of red onion skins OR
canned cherries with juiceOR
pomegranate juice OR
raspberries

If you do this, let me know how you like it and send me some photos! Better yet, come visit me and we'll dye eggs together. :)


I love you, Grandma