eggstravaganza

Filed Under Going Green, Tips & Tricks | March 31, 2010

Here’s our ultimate guide to Easter egg decorating from making natural dyes to design ideas for even the youngest babe. And tomorrow’s weekend guide will be packed with eggcellent events along the same theme.

It’s hard to find natural dyes for your Easter eggs, but it’s easy – if a little more time consuming – to make them. Plus the dyes you create with your kids also fall under the category of a science experiment and making and dying your eggs is a great way to while away an afternoon.

For dyes:

• 1 saucepan for each colour
• ½ cup of water for each colour
• Various food and plant items – think carrots, blueberries, grass, coffee, black tea, chamomile tea or hibiscus tea, spinach and beets
• 2 teaspoons of white vinegar for each colour
• Strainer
• Slotted spoon

How to:

1. Put ½ cup of water in each saucepan and add cut up fruit, vegetables or plants. You can experiment with different amounts for different colours.
2. Simmer the mixture from fifteen minutes up to an hour or until it reaches your desired colour. The dyed eggs will be lighter than the color in the pan, so if your dye’s not dark enough you can add more materials and continue to boil.
3. Once the mixture’s cooled down a little, strain it into a bowl large enough to hold your eggs and deep enough so they’ll be covered with colour. Add the 2 teaspoons of white vinegar into each dye and mix.

For decorations:

• Hard boiled eggs (blown eggs are lovely but don’t stand up to toddler wear and tear)
• Coloured or white crayons
• Rubber bands
• Stickers

How to:

1. While your dyes are simmering you can hard boil your eggs. We normally go for brown eggs, but for dying white eggs will take the dye best. When they’re cool enough to touch wash the shells with warm soapy water to remove any oily residue on the shell and help the colour go on more consistently.
2. Before dying your eggs your kids can draw designs, doodles or write their names on them with coloured or white crayon which will allow their artwork to shine through.  White crayons will highlight their designs most effectively.
3. You can also create a “tie-dye” effect by wrapping different widths of rubber bands around your eggs.
4. Lower the eggs into the dye mixture with a slotted spoon and then let them sit in the mixture until they reach your desired colour.
5. Lift the eggs out with the spoon and set them on a rack or drainer to dry.
6. Once dyed toddlers can decorate their eggs with Easter-themed (or any themed) stickers.

And as beautiful as your bounty of eggs will be, we’d recommend using them for decoration rather than mastication.

Looking for more Easter ideas and crafts? You might enjoy:

• Little Humbugs
• Easter Crafts

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