Naturally dyed Easter eggs make a stunning addition to an Easter table or springtime display. Gather a few plants and kitchen scraps and get ready to learn how to make some for yourself!
It is incredible that simple food scraps, leaves, and flowers can make something so lovely.
Easter Eggs Made with Natural Dye and Botanicals
I’ve been making naturally dyed easter eggs with my children for a several years now.
My favorite by far are the daisy eggs. Do you know what is so special about them?
The center of the daisy often lends its own color! The white petals pressed against the white egg act as a resist, making the end result so realistic and pretty!
To create this effect, the daisies are pinned against the egg using cheesecloth or a piece of nylon fabric. Then the egg is placed into the dye. As you can see, even the cheesecloth can lend its own texture, which adds even another element of depth and beauty.
The very first egg that I made with daisies was this lavender egg. I can’t even remember how I got this lovely lavender color, but that year I remember trying avocado pits and skins, onion skins, cabbage, and turmeric for the dye colors. So perhaps it was the avocado dye reacting with something in the eggshells, since avocado dye is peach/pink but can shift to purple with a modifier such as iron.
The blue egg in the very first picture with an almost 3D looking daisy is my favorite to date. The blue color was achieved from purple cabbage. That brilliant rust color beside it is from a very strong onion skin dye. Sadly, the daisies rolled sideways on that and didn’t turn out as nice. Sometimes you end up with only one pretty side to an egg, but you can always arrange them for display so that your favorite details are showing.
Get ready to experiment and create your own beautiful botanically dyed eggs!
What You Will Need:
Tools/Equipment:
Small saucepans
Mason Jars or Glasses
fine-mesh strainer
small rubber bands I used the tiny rubber bands that I use in my daughter’s hair.
Cheesecloth or an old pair of nylons/tights, cut up into small squares.
Dish Soap
Coconut oil or other oil for buffing the finished eggs (optional)
Ingredients/Food Scrap Suggestions to Try:
white eggs (also try experimenting with brown!)
2 cups chopped purple cabbage
2 cups Onion Skins, yellow or red or a mix of both
3-4 avocado pits and/or skins (wash and keep in the freezer until ready to use) (see notes at the bottom of the recipe card)
2 cups Spinach
1/4 cup turmeric powder
6 Black Tea Bags
White Vinegar
Saved food scraps such as: red onion skins, white onion skins, avocado pits, purple cabbage, turmeric root,
How To Make Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs:
First, wash the eggs thoroughly with dish soap, scrubbing gently. This ensures that there are no residues or oils on the eggs which could prevent the shells from retaining the dye.
You can either hard boil your eggs first, then place them in the dye, OR put raw eggs into the dye and blow them out afterward to keep long term for decor. Here is a handy tool we’ve used to blow eggs.
Next, Prepare your dye bath. You can start with as many or as few colors as you want or have available to play with. Add the dye material to a small saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water.
Heat on low and gently simmer for about an hour. Then, allow to cool for about half an hour.
To prepare your eggs, carefully place flowers and leaves against the egg, wrap with a small square of nylon mesh or cheesecloth, and secure the nylon/cheesecloth with a small rubber band.
If you are using daisies, be careful that the petals are spread out, and gently press the center against the egg. I’ve found that it helps if the egg is slightly damp from condensation, or I will wet it slightly, enough to help the petals stay in place while I’m wrapping the egg.
Putting the eggs into the dye:
When the dye bath is ready, strain the liquid into a mason jar and place your prepared eggs into the jar. Add 1 tbsp white vinegar per cup of dye. Place in the refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours, depending on the color you are trying to achieve.
When the eggs are done in the dye bath, remove them gently and cut off the nylon/cheesecloth, handling the egg as little as possible. Or you can let it fully dry before removing the nylon/cheesecloth. This is because the damp pigment on the egg can sometimes scrape off in places, but once you leave it to fully dry it doesn’t do this.
If desired, gently buff the eggs with coconut oil or another oil to make them shine. Arrange on a platter or hang them from branches in a vase for a pretty Easter tree.
Have fun experimenting with different dyes, as well as various plants and flowers!
Were you able to get the daisies to lend a yellow center? Sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m still a little mystified as to why. Have you found any other flowers that lend their own color? I’d love to hear!
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
Equipment
- small pots
- cheesecloth or nylon stockings
- scissors
- fine mesh strainer
- small rubber bands
- dish soap
Materials
- 2 cups purple cabbage (chopped)
- 2 cups onion skins (red or yellow or both)
- 3-4 avocado pits and/or skins (see notes)
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/8 cup turmeric powder
- 6 black tea bags
- white vinegar
- coconut oil or olive oil
Instructions
- First, wash the eggs thoroughly with dish soap, scrubbing gently. This ensures that there are no residues or oils on the eggs which could prevent the shells from retaining the dye.
- You can either hard boil your eggs first, then place them in the dye, OR put raw eggs into the dye and blow them out afterward to keep long term for decor. Here is a handy tool we've used to blow eggs.
- Next, Prepare your dye bath. You can start with as many or as few colors as you want or have available to play with. Add the dye material of your choice to a small saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water.
- Heat on low and gently simmer for about an hour. Allow to cool for 1/2 an hour.
- To prepare your eggs, carefully place flowers and leaves against the egg, wrap with a small square of nylon mesh or cheesecloth, and secure the nylon/cheesecloth with a small rubber band.
- If you are using daisies, be careful that the petals are spread out, and gently press the center against the egg. I’ve found that it helps if either the egg is slightly damp from condensation, or I will wet it slightly, enough to help the petals stay in place while I’m wrapping the egg.
- When the dye bath is ready, strain the liquid into a mason jar and place your prepared eggs into the jar. Add 1 tbsp white vinegar per cup of dye. Place in the refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours, depending on the color you are trying to achieve.
- Remove from the dye and gently cut off the nylon/cheesecloth, handling the egg as little as possible. Or you can let it fully dry before removing the nylon/cheesecloth. This is because the damp pigment on the egg can sometimes scrape off in places, but once you leave it to fully dry it doesn’t do this.
- If desired, gently buff the eggs with coconut oil or another oil to make them shine. Arrange them in a pretty platter, or hang them from branches in a vase for a pretty Easter tree.
- Have fun experimenting and trying other color combinations, as well as other plants or flowers! Have you found another flower that will lend it's own color? I'd love to hear.
Notes
Some of our eggs from other years:
These were a slightly different daisy variety, a little larger than the typical lawn daisies:
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