Easter Egg Dying Techniques

Easter is the time of year that families have some fun dying Easter Eggs. Kits made by the popular "Paas" can be purchased or alternative dyes can be created with some everyday household items.

Basic Dye recipe:

Supplies: Food Coloring bowls paper towels hard boiled eggs White Vinegar empty paper towel or toilet paper cardboard Plastic or trashbags scissors

Directions:

Cover table or counter tops with plastic to avoid stains. Large garden trash bags work great. Spread them out on the table and floor.

Cut the cardboard tubes in 1 inch rings to use for egg holders.

To make basic colors use food coloring adding several drops into water with 1 Tbsp. white vinegar. Add more drops to get desired brightness.

For purple, add red and blue together. For green add blue and yellow, etc. Orange, red and yellow.

Use a spoon and dip the cooled, hard boiled egg into the dye. Roll around until you get the desired color. Dip half the egg in one color, let it dry by setting it on the rings. Once dry, turn over to get a two-toned egg.

Speckled Eggs

Supplies: Old Toothbrushes Food coloring.

Use the same methods above except dip your toothbrush in the dye and take index finger so the dye sprays dye onto the egg. Make sure nothing else is around since this can stain. Repeat process until you get speckled or a tie-dyed effect. See picture

Other Fun designs -

Rubber band striped "Batik" look

Supplies: Any size thin or thick rubber bands. Wrap one or two rubber bands around the egg to get the desired striped effect. Dip egg into one color, let dry on rings. Once dry, remove rubber band and dip into another color. The stripes will absorb the new colors. See picture.