Happy Easter friends!
Growing up, I always made colorful eggs for Easter with my mom. We'd get the dye packets and go to town making vibrant technicolor eggs. I loved experimenting with the colors to create patterns and designs.
This year I tried something new. I've seen so many posts about naturally dyed eggs. A lot of folks out there use natural dyes because of the toxins and chemicals in the dye packets you get from the store. That's not why I chose to go natural this year. I wanted to see how easy (or difficult) the process was and if they really turned out as pretty as the pictures you see online. Here's the scoop.
Growing up, I always made colorful eggs for Easter with my mom. We'd get the dye packets and go to town making vibrant technicolor eggs. I loved experimenting with the colors to create patterns and designs.
This year I tried something new. I've seen so many posts about naturally dyed eggs. A lot of folks out there use natural dyes because of the toxins and chemicals in the dye packets you get from the store. That's not why I chose to go natural this year. I wanted to see how easy (or difficult) the process was and if they really turned out as pretty as the pictures you see online. Here's the scoop.
| I made four dyes from natural ingredients.
I measured one quart of water into each pot and added 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. I brought the pots to a boil then let them simmer for about 30 minutes. After simmering, I strained the dyes into bowls. The dyes looked pretty saturated! I would strain the blueberries more next time, maybe using cheese cloth or a coffee filer. The blueberry seeds remained in the dye after I strained it. I decided to boil the eggs in the dye. I read that by doing so, the dyes would be more vibrant on the egg and it would become more saturated. Each color worked well this way with the exception of the cabbage. I had to leave the cabbage in a bowl of the dye for about two hours before it became fully saturated. |
Herb Stenciled Eggs
For these eggs, I hard boiled the plain eggs first. Using some cut flowers and herbs from my garden, I wrapped each egg in nylon and submerged them in room temperate dye. I let the eggs sit for about two hours. The colors are not as saturated as the eggs that were boiled in the dyes, but I like the softer colors and the subtle hints of patterns. The dill and thyme had the best effect. I think if I had let the turmeric eggs sit longer, the color would've been more vibrant and you would be able to see the stencil more clearly. |