Dyeing eggs is a frugal activity that can be practiced the whole year. You should already have all the items you need. This is a craft that is easy to scale to different age groups.
Step 1: Hard Boil Your Eggs
*Note: We got the colors in the photo using brown eggs.
There are a gazillion ways to hard boil eggs.
Use your preferred method, or use the Simply Recipes method. Quick version: Boil, sit 10 min covered, ice bath. I did this last time and they came out absolutely perfect.
Save your cartons to store the eggs in when you’re done, but don’t put them in until they are completely dry or the carton will scratch off some of the color.
Step 2: Pre-Dye Decorating for Your Eggs
There are a bunch of things you can do to your eggs before you dye them.
You can use the wax-resist method, color your eggs with crayons and the dye can’t penetrate the wax. We did this on a dish towel so the eggs wouldn’t roll away. We did feathers, leaves, and a turkey. Unfortunately the turkey was murdered in a fit of preschooler rage.
The same thing goes for stickers, apparently this was not as fun this time around and we skipped them.
You can wrap rubber bands tightly around your eggs to make lines. I love this look but the 4 year old nixed it.
Step 3: Dye Your Eggs
You don’t need a kit to dye eggs! You have the stuff.
Take a mug, I used my soup mugs. Bowls won’t work, they aren’t deep enough (never mind the photos, that was me letting my boy help set up).
Add 1 1/2 cup hot tap water.
Add 1 teaspoon/a splash white vinegar.
Add 20(ish) drops food coloring. We made every color but yellow, since you can’t really see it with brown eggs.
You can see that I used brown eggs, which gives you more rustic colors. I thought they were pretty but your results can be a little different than you expect. The brownish color you see was from using straight blue to dye it. If you know your color theory you know blue and orange make brown.
If your eggs got a little cracked no worries, you just get a marbled pattern on the actual egg. I think it’s pretty, and it’s just food coloring, it won’t hurt you.
Dip your egg in the dye, using your fingers, a spoon, a whisk, a wire dipper thingie…
The longer you leave the egg in the deeper your color will be.
You can re-dip parts of the egg to get layers of color, changing position and/or colors. A whisk is helpful for holding an egg partially submerged. This is how I got the almost ombre stripes.
Or cover parts with tape and re-dye.
I put a kitchen towel down to dry them on, you can gently roll them to encourage them to dry.
If you store them in an egg carton it will scratch off a little of the color.
Step 4: Post-Dye Bling for Your Eggs
There are many ways to decorate your dyed eggs.
You can use markers to draw faces and designs on them, or crayons.
You can add stickers.
You can add glitter. We painted on glitter glue, but if you glitter them odds are good you will be eating glitter.
You can paint them.
You can glue tissue paper pieces or hole punches on.
You can use pipe cleaners to make arms, legs, wings, etc.
Make holders for your eggs with little strips of cardboard taped into a circle.
Store your eggs in the fridge and eat them within 5 days.
Other Fun Things to Do With Dyed Eggs
Sticker Stenciling on Dyed Eggs
Melted Crayon Eggs from Spoonful
Tissue Paper and Parsley Eggs from Aunt Peaches
*This is a rehash of my Valentine’s Day Dyed Eggs post
Thanksgiving Pinterest Board
*Also see our Halloween Dyed Eggs OR
Dinosaur Felt Play Mat – DIY Tips and Printable Templates
We hope you enjoy our Thanksgiving Dyed Eggs post
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