Natural Easter Egg Dyes

Artistic exploration is part of the joy of dying eggs with natural ingredients. Not using chemicals or food coloring is another attractive benefit. Keep in mind that you will not get exact results or vibrant crayon colors. Think of warm, earthy tones like browns, reds and yellows. Different ingredients will dye deeper and others lighter.

First, plan on gathering a variety of ingredients that will result in assorted colors. Here is a general list of natural ingredients organized by color:

Yellow: turmeric, celery seed, ground cumin, orange or lemon peels
Brown: instant coffee or strong brewed coffee, walnut shells
Orange: onion skins
Red: beets, chili powder
Pink: beet juice, beets, raspberries
Purple: grape juice
Lavender: blackberries, yellow apple peels
Blue: blueberries, purple petunias, red cabbage
Green: fresh cranberries, spinach, marigolds

Onion skins (yes, the dry, flaky outer covering of onions) make a great natural dye. Yellow onion skins will turn eggs a darker shade of orange than red onion skins do. Ask your produce manager for onion skins as it takes the dry skins of about 12 onions to get the desired result. Next year you could plan on saving those dry skins throughout the winter.

Beets can be a source of pink, but they can also dye eggs a deep red or russet. Spinach is another vegetable that dyes eggs a light and pretty shade of green. Spices like turmeric and chili powder make vivid yellows and dark reds. Berries make great blues, purples and pinks. Blueberries can be fresh or canned and will turn eggs a very deep blue in a short period of time.

Now that you have collected the natural dyes, get water boiling. Coffee should be brewed first, berries can be mashed and spices should be mixed into the water. Experiment with amounts to get the desired results. Completely cover and boil the eggs in the dye water for 18 minutes (to hard boil) and let them sit until the desired color is achieved. One trick is to refrigerate the eggs in the dye water overnight. This will deepen the result. Grape juice and blueberries though, will not require long soaking.

Finally, you can get artistic and add designs to your dying project. Use flat, wide rubber-bands to create interesting stripes. Wrap the bands around the eggs before dying. You can also brush on small leaves like cilantro or mint with oil and place on the egg before dying. Then wrap a piece of nylon around egg and secure tightly with thread. Dye as desired. The leaf-covered areas will remain white, while the rest of the egg will color. Paint stripes or blot splashes of color, using a berry as your paintbrush.

Naturally dyed eggs will provide earthier shades of nature--a pleasant change from the plastic colors of modern times. Your family can participate in this rewarding project filled with discovery and creativity.