Painted and dyed Easter eggs
One of the most traditional ways to celebrate Easter is by painting and dyeing Easter eggs with the kids. This messy activity is fun for the whole family, especially if you lay down plenty of newspaper to keep the kids from getting dye everywhere!
Hard-boil your eggs ahead of time and allow them to cool before dyeing them. Here are some great ideas for homemade Easter egg dyes:
Natural Dye:
- Various food and plant items (such as blueberries, carrots, cherries, grass, coffee)
- Saucepans for each color
- Strainer
- Slotted spoon
Pour half a cup of water into each saucepan. Add cut-up fruit, vegetables or plants to the water, using a different item in each saucepan. Add cooking oil and simmer until the water turns a colour you like. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain, reserving the coloured water. When the water is cool, add hard-boiled or blown eggs. Let the eggs sit in the water, checking them every so often until they turn the desired color. Remove the eggs with slotted spoon and allow to dry.
Food Coloring Dye:
- Food coloring
- Hot water
- White vinegar
- Small bowls or cups
- Slotted spoon
Measure 1/4 teaspoon of each colour of food colouring into small bowls or cups, placing one colour in each bowl or cup. Add 3/4 cup of hot water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to each colour. Add hard-boiled or blown eggs to each colour and allow them to sit, checking them every so often until they turn the desired color. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to dry.
Waxed Eggs:
- Wax crayons -- white and yellow work best for this, but any colour will do
- Paper towels
- Food colouring dye (as above)
- Slotted spoon
Using wax crayons, draw a pattern on an undyed hard-boiled egg. Press firmly (but not firmly enough to crack the egg) so that you get a good, heavy crayon line. Dye the egg in a dark colour of food colouring dye (as above). Remove the egg with a slotted spoon, then place the egg in a 100 degree C oven for a few minutes until the wax is melted. Holding the egg in a paper towel and with a pot holder, wipe the wax off the egg with a paper towel to remove the melted wax. Place the egg in another, lighter colour of food colouring dye to fill in the pattern where the wax has melted.
