Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

Plants serve amazing purposes, but who knew they could create the most gorgeous Easter eggs? These take egg dying to a whole new level!

With Easter around the corner I was looking for a more sustainable option to replace plastic eggs. I came across a few different alternatives, some of which were way above my price range. Wooden eggs seemed interesting and I even seen one biodegradable option but neither were very budget friendly.

Moments later I seen an image that caught my eye. It was a beautiful assortment of eggs each dyed brown with flower designs crafted from coffee. Yes, COFFEE! I was perplexed that eggs could be dyed with food sources and began researching other possible combinations. I personally loved the look of coffee but knew my kids would prefer something more colorful.

Ultimately, red cabbage was the winner!

Supplies

1 head of red cabbage, cut into chunks

4 cups of water

2 TBS of white vinegar

Large pot

Strainer

Wire baking rack or towel

Flower, leaf, or vine clippings (optional)

Panty hose (optional)

Directions For Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

At first glance these eggs may seem complicated but the process is actually quite simple!

First, you’ll want hard boil your eggs. After they are finished, drain the water and place inside the fridge.

The Dying Process

Start by cutting up your cabbage into chunks and put them into a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. I wanted a pretty strong dye so I let mine simmer for 30 minutes.

After the cabbage is finished simmering strain the liquid into a bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar. Make sure to stir it up well and be careful of spills! Although this isn’t store bought dye it will still stain so you may want to wear old clothing, especially if you’ll have tiny helpers.

Adding Designs

(skip this step if you aren’t using flower pressed designs)

For a creative take on these Easter eggs you can use flowers, vine clippings, or leaves. They make gorgeous prints and all it takes is one additional step. For my own eggs I used a small flower bloom, one of its leaves, and part of a vine that grows under our porch.

My mom was kind enough to let me cut up a pair of her panty hose that had some picks and runs. It worked perfectly for this activity!

Simply place your flower onto the egg however you’d like and use the panty hose to hold it in place. You’ll want it pretty taught so the design stays in place. Small rubber bands can be used to tie it as well as bread ties.

Dying Times

Place your eggs into a bowl or cup(s) full of dye. For natural dyes they need to be submerged longer than with box kits but the specific times will vary. For the palest of hues submerge for about 15 mins and for darker colors leave them overnight in the refrigerator. You can experiment by pulling them out and checking until you get the right shade!

Finishing Up

The last step in creating natural dyed Easter eggs is setting them out to dry. You can lay them on a wire baking rack to air dry or gently pat them with a towel. If you opt for towel drying be aware that some of the dye may come off. You may prefer to do it this way for softer colors!

Imperfectly Perfect

If you are looking for a perfectly solid color on your Easter eggs then this activity won’t be your thing. They will have many imperfections but that’s honestly one of my favorite things about it. Just look at the detail on this plain egg! It reminds me so much of robin eggs.

Print Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

Brittany

Plants serve amazing purposes, but who knew they could create the most gorgeous Easter eggs?

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients  

• 1 head red cabbage cut into chunks
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 large pot
• strainer
• wire baking rack or towel
• flowers, leaves, or vine clippings optional
• panty hose optional

Instructions 

• First, you’ll want hard boil your eggs and then place them in the fridge so you can begin the dying process.
• Cut your cabbage into chunks and put them into a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. I wanted a pretty strong dye so I let mine simmer for 30 minutes.
• After the cabbage is finished simmering strain the liquid into a bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar. Make sure to stir it up well and be careful of spills!
• If creating a design, place your flower (or alternative) onto the egg and use the panty hose to hold it in place. You’ll want it pretty taught so the design stays in place. Small rubber bands can be used to tie it as well as bread ties.
• Place your eggs into a cup or bowl full of the dye. For the palest of hues submerge for about 15 mins and for darker colors leave them overnight in the refrigerator. You can experiment by pulling them out and checking until you get the right shade!
• The last step in creating natural dyed Easter eggs is setting them out to dry. You can lay them on a wire baking rack to air dry or gently pat them with a towel.

Notes

Although this isn’t store bought dye it will still stain so you may want to wear old clothing, especially if you’ll have tiny helpers!

If you opt for towel drying be aware that some of the dye may come off. You may prefer to do it this way for softer colors!

If you are looking for a perfectly solid color on your Easter eggs then this activity won’t be your thing. They will have many imperfections but that’s honestly one of my favorite things about it! Love the imperfections.

 

What’s Your Favorite Easter Egg Color?

I can’t wait to give this another go for our Easter egg hunt and may even experiment with something else. Who knows! Let me know in the comments what color you’d like to try!

Pin It For Later