How To Naturally Dye Easter Eggs

If you are trying to avoid chemical laden, commercially made food dyes this Easter you can still enjoy the fun by learning How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs.  Many of these options you probably already have in your kitchen! These will give your eggs a wonderful color that the kids will love!

Start with hard boiled eggs and refrigerate them until you are ready to use them.  The longer you soak the eggs in the following dyes the more intense the color will be.

Make it fun by giving the kids crayons and rubber-bands. The wax won’t absorb the color allowing you to draw a design on the eggs. The Rubber-bands allow you to make tie dyed eggs. Use different sized rubber bands, wrapping them one at a time around the eggs.  Once the eggs are dyed, remove the rubber-bands to reveal the design.

Bluish-Gray

• Mix 1 cup frozen blueberries with 1 cup water, bring to room temperature, and remove blueberries.

Blue

• Cut 1/4 head of red cabbage into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar. Let cool to room temperature and remove cabbage with a slotted spoon.

Jade Green

• Peel the skin from 6 red onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.

Faint Green-Yellow

• Peel the skin from 6 yellow apples. Simmer in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
• Simmer 4 oz. chopped fennel tops in 1-1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Orange

• Take the skin of 6 yellow onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.

Faint Red-Orange

• Stir 2 Tbsp. paprika into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Yellow

• Rich yellow: Simmer 4 oz. chopped carrot tops in 1-1/2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
• Mustard-yellow: Stir 2 Tbsp. turmeric into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
• Various shades: Steep 4 bags of chamomile or green tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes.
• Pale yellow: Chop 4 oz. goldenrod and simmer in 2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
• Faint yellow: Simmer the peels of 6 oranges in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. vinegar.

Brown-Gold

• Simmer 2 Tbsp. dill seed in 1 cup water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Brown

• Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup strong coffee.

Pink

• Faint pink: Chop 4 oz. amaranth flowers and simmer in 2 cups water; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Simmer the skins from 6 avocados in 1-1/2 cup water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Mix 1 cup pickled beet juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
• Dark pink: Cut 1 medium beet into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar and let cool to room temperature; remove beets.

Lavender

• Mix 1 cup grape juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.