Have fun with the kids and learn how to dye Easter eggs naturally! Yes, you can use fresh veggies and herbs to dye Easter Eggs.
Certain foods and vegetables put off natural dyes so today, I thought I would show you how to do this with the kids! It would even make a great experiment for your homeschool.
Dying eggs naturally is not like the artificial colors and chemical dyes that you are use to using. It's a process that takes a little bit longer but the eggs turn out beautiful and it's a better way to dye eggs!
Each egg will have its own beautiful color depending on what you add to it. Add ins include vinegar, baking soda, salt or even how long you leave it soaking.
Use these beautiful eggs for your next Easter Egg Hunt!
How to Dye Eggs Naturally
For this experiment and fun event, you will need the following to make natural easter egg dye.
- White Eggs (you do not want brown eggs for this. The whiter the egg, the more vibrant the color will be)
- Natural ingredients for dying (onion skins –yellow and red onion skins, colored veggies, spices, and more)
Start by making hard-boiled eggs. Once the eggs have cooled to room temperature, you can make a different dye bath for different colors. To make vibrant colors, be sure to soak the eggs longer.
To Make Orange Dye
For the orange dye, or even dark orange, you need 2 cups of yellow onion skins, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 4 cups of water.
Put the onion skins and the water on to boil. Boil until the color has come out of the yellow onions. Now add in the vinegar and remove the skins.
You can put the dye in a jar and let the eggs soak until they change color. The longer you leave it, the darker the color will be. You can put the raw eggs straight into this water to let them boil and change color if you want. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a paper towel.
You can use a cup of water if you are dying smaller batches of eggs.
For Purple Dye
For purple dye, use beets, blueberries, blackberries, red onions, or any veggie or fruit that has a purple hue to it.
Add in one cup of purple veggie or fruit with 4 cups of water. Once again, boil the two together until the water changes color. Add in the 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Soak the eggs in a jar with the purple colored water until they have changed color.
For Blue Dye
Ok — I know this sounds weird, but to make blue eggs, you are going to use a purple cabbage. Cut it into chunks and boil the chunks in 4 cups of water. You can make 3 different shades with just one head of cabbage.
To get the light green color, soak the eggs in just the cabbage. For a bright blue, soak the eggs overnight in the cabbage with vinegar. To create a teal color, switch out the vinegar for salt.
For Brown Dye
To create the brown color, use one cup of ground instant coffee to 4 cups of water. Boil it until the coffee has dissolved. Soak the eggs in this liquid for a few hours to get a light brown. For a dark brown, soak overnight. If you don't have coffee on hand, you can use Instant tea bags also.
For Yellow Dye
To dye your eggs yellow, add 2 tablespoons of tumeric to 4 cups of water and then soak the eggs for about an hour in the tumeric dye. They will be a beautiful bright yellow.
If you want the eggs to have a pastel look, then you don't need to soak them for long periods of time. Just let them soak until you get the desired color you are looking for.
To give the eggs a shine, rub them down with coconut oil after they get done dying.
There are so many different ways to dye Easter Eggs and they all create such beautiful colors on the eggs.
Have you ever dyed eggs before? How did it turn out?