Looking for a natural, kid friendly way to dye Easter eggs this year? You'll be surprised how far a little red cabbage and beets can go! Make beautiful, naturally dyed eggs and have a little DIY fun with your kids! Little hands can play safe with these earth friendly dyes that you most likely already have in your kitchen. Share your colorful creations with us when you post your pictures and tag us @mamajeans_market on Instagram or @MaMaJeansMarket on Facebook.
DIY Dyes with Beets, Turmeric and Red Cabbage
For EACH SEPARATE COLOR, you'll need the following:
- 1 quart of filtered water
- 2 Tbl. white vinegar
Preparation:
- Bring water and vinegar to a boil in a medium-sized pot
- Add ingredients of desired color
- Simmer for 30 minutes
- Let cool completely
- Strain ingredients out, and now the dye is ready for the eggs!
Yellow = 3 Tbl. Turmeric *Turmeric is notorious for staining everything! Be careful with clothes, skin, and counter tops.
Pink/Red = 4 cups Chopped Beets *We found a roughly chopped medium-sized cube worked well.
Blue = 3 cups Chopped Red Cabbage
Purple = Chopped Red Cabbage + Chopped Beets
Green = Turmeric + Red Cabbage *The water will still look red-orange, but the egg color will come out green!
Orange = Turmeric + Beets
The longer the eggs are left in the dye, the deeper the color hue. The eggs pictured were left in the dye for approximately 10 hours. We suggest letting eggs soak for at least 30-45 minutes.
Basic Egg Bath and Dye Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 dozen organic eggs
- 2-4 Tbsp dried herb or spice (up to ¼ cup for the “fluffy” herbs like calendula flowers)
- 1 Tbsp organic white vinegar
- 2 cups hot water
Directions
First, hard-boil the eggs. While they are cooking, bring another big pot of water to boil, and fill mason jars with herbs and vinegar. Then, use kitchen tongs to dunk the eggs in their bath.
The following are herbs that can be used to produce sweet spring pastels!
- Calendula Flowers
- English Breakfast Tea
- Cinnamon powder
- Hibiscus Flowers
- Turmeric Root Powder
- Curry Powder
- Paprika
- Dill Seed
- Yarrow
- Green Tea
- Spinach Powder
- Beet Root Powder
- Rosehips Powder
- Chaga Mushroom
