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Bowl of natural dye Easter eggs
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How to Natural Dye Easter Eggs

Using natural vegetables and herbs to naturally dye eggs is a fun and rewarding project.
Calories
Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Supplies for Making Natural Dye Easter Eggs

  • White Eggs (hard boiled) the amount preferred to dye
  • Dye Containers (jars or bowls) quart-size Mason jars with lids recommended
  • White vinegar
  • Natural food and spice items to create the dye see below
  • Pans
  • Canola Oil Optional

Natural Egg Dye Supplies (ingredients used to color eggs in this post; suggested amounts included)

  • 6 small Beets for Red eggs
  • 1 small head Red Cabbage for Blue eggs
  • 1 large bag Spinach for Green eggs
  • 1 cup Dill Seeds for Golden Brown eggs
  • 1/2 cup Turmeric for Yellow eggs

Instructions

  • In a saucepan add the item which is the source of the dye (e.g. beets, spinach, etc). There is some personal discretion with the amount:for more dye or darker dye, use more of the item
  • Add water to the pan to reach 1 inch over the top of your dye source. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. 
  • Simmer the mixture until the water is the color you would like for your dye. NOTE: The eggs will be lighter than the dye so bear this in mind when choosing how dark the dye is.
  • After having reached the desired color, carefully strain the dye mixture into a glass measuring cup and discard the dye source material (e.g. beets, spinach, etc). Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per 1 cup of liquid.
  • Allow the mixture to cool before adding eggs to avoid cracking.
  • Let the eggs soak until desired color is achieved. NOTE: I immersed mine in dye in the afternoon and put them in the fridge overnight. 
  • Remove eggs from the dye and put them in an egg carton to dry. 

Oiling the Eggs (optional)

  • The eggs appear chalky when dried so I rubbed some canola oil on them with a paper towel which worked great (it may take multiple coats and don’t rub hard or the dye will rub off). 
  • Keep dyed eggs in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them.

Notes

Natural ingredient amounts I used for the eggs pictured in this post:
I used about 6 small beets (chopped into four pieces each), a large bag of spinach leaves, about 1 cup of dill seeds, ½ cup of turmeric and a half of a small head of red cabbage chopped into chunks.
On straining dye: It can be strained into a bowl and poured into the jar or container being used for dying.