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natural egg dye
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DIY Natural Egg Dye Tutorial

These beautifully colored Easter eggs feature natural hues. A fun project to do with the kids!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Coloring Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours
Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red onion skins
  • 1 cup yellow onion skins
  • 2 cups purple or red cabbage
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • ¼ cup turmeric
  • 2 cups beets (chopped or shredded)
  • 2 cups grape juice
  • 2 TBSP vinegar (per color used)
  • white eggs (brown eggs also work)

Instructions

  • For each color you’ll need 1-2 cups of plant material for every 2 cups of water. Use 2 cups for a more vibrant color. Since the turmeric is a dried powder you’ll only need 1/4 cup of this to make yellow turmeric dye.
  • Add 1-2 cups of one fruit or veggie of choice to the pot along with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes with the lid on. You can add the raw eggs and vinegar to the water and fruit/veg as it simmers, but reduce the simmer time to 15 minutes or they’ll be hard and overcooked.
  • Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature, then strain out the fruit/veg and compost. Squeeze the plants to extract as much color as possible. If you’re boiling the eggs with the dye liquid, then simply remove the eggs from the liquid once it’s cooled and they’re done.
  • Place undyed, hardboiled eggs into the natural dye liquid and add 2 TBSP vinegar. Let them soak for several hours or overnight in the fridge.
  • For a stronger dye effect, dry the eggs off after a few hours with a paper towel or fabric towel/clean old shirt you don’t mind getting stains on, then put them back in the dye for several more hours.
  • Remove the eggs from the liquid once they’re dyed and pat dry. Rub the shell with a little oil to make them shiny if desired.

Notes

  • You can dye brown eggs, but the colors will be slightly different and a little more muted than white eggs.
  • Making the dye first, then soaking hardboiled eggs in the water makes the colors more vibrant than boiling the eggs in the water.
  • Before dying you can use a white crayon to make designs on the egg. The patterns will show up once it’s dyed!