Apr 3, 2009

Eggs to "Dye" for

I remember the fun of decorating Easter eggs as a child. I'd take out the crayons, dye, paints, markers, pretty much anything that I could think of to color the eggs. My designs were ambitous, and my fingertips ended up dyed for days. We always used the traditional PAAS easter egg kit. It was so exciting to drop the tablets in the water and watch it change color. Today, you can still purchase the PAAS kit, and in even fancier varieties that include stickers, punch-out designs, special markers and crayons, and much more.

Kits are convenient, but you can make your own dye as well. Combine 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of food coloring with 2 teaspoons vinegar in a cup that is deep enough for the eggs. Add water to about the half way point. Gently place the eggs into the cups. Experiment and create new colors by dipping the egg in one color and then another.

There are many fun ways to decorate eggs. There's the traditional solid colored eggs. As a child, we would color on the eggs with crayons before putting them in the dye. The waxy crayon prevents the egg from picking up color and leaves fun patterns behind. You can use this idea to create personalized eggs or to write a special note.

Another idea is to create rubberband designs. Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in food-coloring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with rubber bands will not be colored. Once the rubber bands are removed, you can drop the egg into a different color dye.
To create marbled eggs, in a mug or jar large enough to contain one egg, place 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of food coloring. Add enough water to cover egg, stir quickly with a spoon and drop in hard boiled egg. Pull egg out quickly and pat dry with paper towel.

Coloring Easter eggs has long been a family tradition and my children look forward to it every year. Hopefully I've given you some new ideas that will make your Easter egg coloring more fun this year. For more egg decorating ideas check out Family Fun Magazine online.

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4 comments:

Nichole Giles said...

Awesome ideas! I keep thinking my kids are getting too old to color eggs, but every year they look forward to it. They'll love your brilliant ideas for more artistic eggs.

Thanks for the instructions.

Heather Justesen said...

Fun idea, Kim. I love coloring eggs, but the past couple of years I've been lazy. I let my chickens do it for me. I wonder if an egg that was blue when it was laid would turn green when dipped in yellow dye...

Aimee Geddes said...

I have to ask...did you do the eggs in the picture at the top? If so, that is amazing. HOW on earth do you make something like that?! It looks like it would almost have to be computer generated to make it come out so good, or you would have to be an artist with a super steady hand. If you could please share secrets if that is your work, I would really appreciate it!

Kimberly Job said...

Thanks for the comments ladies!

I wish I could make eggs like the ones in the picture. It was just a fun pic I found on the internet. It looks like they are hand painted to me.

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