Dyeing Easter eggs is very likely the most known (and one of the oldest) traditions related to this biggest Christian holiday. Eggs represent new life, fertility, optimism, and abundance. There are hundreds of dyes on the market, but we can find some spectacular options in nature as well:
Onion skins are probably the most known source of natural dye. Depending on the shade of onions and egg shells, concentration of dye and time in the solution, we can create many different reddish or brownish colors. For best results, rub eggs with some oil when the dyeing process is already finished.
- Chopped purple cabbage will create bluish or greenish eggs, depending on the color of the egg shells.
- Eggs will become yellow if you use ground turmeric (one of the most used dyes in the food industry).
- To create the lavender color of Easter eggs, cook them in water with the addition of violet blossoms and some lemon juice.
- Beet will give a pinkish look of eggs with white shells.
- Walnut shells will color Easter eggs with dark brown tones.
All these natural dyes give you plenty of options to involve the kids, including preschoolers, as active as you want.
So play a bit with the colors, combine them, try to achieve the trendy ombre look by soaking eggs at varying levels for different amounts of time, ...
Apart from obvious ones, there are numerous alternative ways of using Easter eggs:
- you can use Easter eggs (with names of guests, smileys with their initials, or even maybe their small portraits) instead of place cards
- with an addition of some paper, you can easily transform eggs into bodies or heads of different animals, like chicken or rabbit
Your suggestions in comment section below are also appreciated.