Coloring eggs is a popular Easter tradition. Families gather in the kitchen to transform stark white eggs into beautiful gems of purple, blue, and pink.
While those pastel, marble, and glitter covered eggs are quite pretty, sometimes a more natural look is in order. In honor of Earth Day (and Easter), here are a few ways to use everyday household items to color your Easter eggs.
We made three dyes—one from yellow onion skins, one from fresh cranberries and one from strong brewed coffee. Just a few tips before you begin:
- Make sure your hard-cooked eggs are completely dry and at room temperature.
- For each color of dye, find a container that won’t get stained or that you can discard when finished. Make sure it is big enough to completely submerge an egg or several eggs at once.
To dye the eggs, place an egg in the container. Pour dye over the egg, covering completely. Refrigerate until the desired color is achieved. (The longer the egg sits in the dye, the darker the color.) Remove the egg and let dry; refrigerate.
Onion Skin Dye
To make dye from yellow onion skins, place several skins in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil; let cool and discard skins. Based on the number of onion skins used and the amount of time the eggs soak, you’ll get warm tones that can range from gold to a rich terra cotta.
Brewed Coffee Dye
Simply brew a pot of strong coffee and cool. The color can range from a light speckled tan to a more solid dark tan depending on how strong the coffee is and how long the egg soaks.
Cranberry Dye
To make a dye from fresh cranberries, boil 4 cups cranberries in 2 cups cold water until the berries burst. Let cool. Drain the mixture, saving the liquid and discarding the cranberries. To create a light blue-toned egg, soak for only a short time. We found that soaking an egg longer results in a dark gray color.
Decorated eggs can be displayed a variety of different ways – in egg cups or nestled in grass-lined Easter baskets.
Remember! Don’t eat hard-cooked eggs that have stood at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you plan on displaying eggs, it’s best to cook extra eggs for eating.
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