OK, so the kids noticed on the calendar that Easter
is approaching and they want to make a huge production of dying eggs.
In the past, the little stickers you bought at the store sufficed,
but now they want the real thing. Here are some old standards with
a few new ideas for you.
One important note: When the kids get really
excited about egg dying, don’t feel sorry for them and pour the left
over egg dye in their bath water so they can have more fun (no matter
how much they beg and plead! Especially if it’s food coloring). Someone
might panic and declare a citywide medical quarantine if they see
your kids dyed all sorts of strange colors in their Easter finery.
Before you decorate Easter eggs, cover the entire
table with newspaper. Keep a huge roll of paper towels or rags handy
for messes. Have each kid wear one of dad’s old (now disposable) tee
shirts.
Making Easter Egg Stands
Cut toilet paper roll cores into one inch cylinders and use for egg
stands. Decorate with stickers or paint.
Decorating Eggs
Traditional method
Hard boil eggs. Fill several mugs with boiling water
and add 1-2 tsp. vinegar. Place a few drops of desired food coloring
in each mug. Place eggs in mugs for several minutes until eggs reach
desired shades.
Remove with a spoon. Place on paper towel to dry.
When dry, polish with a small amount of shortening on a paper towel.
Buff until glossy.
You can draw or write on the eggs with a light colored
or white crayon before dipping. The drawing will remain white after
the egg is dipped.
To clean out mugs, put a little bleach water in the
cups and soak for a few minutes.
Natural Easter Egg Dyes
If you would like to try dying eggs naturally, try
the following:
~Yellow-- yellow onion
skins, turmeric (½ tsp. per cup water) celery leaves
~Orange-- any yellow
dye plus beet juice
~Red-- beets, paprika,
red onion skins
~Pink-- cranberry juice
~Blue-- blackberries,
grape juice concentrate, red cabbage
~Brown-- black tea,
white oak, juniper berry, coffee, barberry
~Light purple-- blackberries,
grapes, violets
~Green-- alfalfa, spinach,
kale, violet blossom plus ¼ tsp. baking soda, tansy, nettle,
chervil, sorrel, parsley, carrot tops, beet tops or dip yellow egg
in blue dye
Hard boil eggs with 1 tsp. vinegar in the water. Place dying ingredients
in non-aluminum pans, cover with water and boil 5 minutes to 1 hour
until desired color is achieved. Use enough material to make at least
1 cup dye. Crush ingredients as they boil to extract as much dye as
possible. Strain the dye. Most dyes should be used hot. Let each egg
sit in the dye until it reaches the desired color. Some dyes will
take longer than others to make the desired colored on the egg. Remove
the egg and let dry.
Glitter Eggs - Place 1 tablespoon each of
glue and water in a cup. Stir the mixture and then paint the eggs
with it. Sprinkle with glitter. This can also add sparkle to already
dyed eggs!
Crepe Paper Eggs - Wet a white or dyed egg.
Dab torn pieces of colored tissue paper or pieces of pretty colored
napkins on the eggs. When the paper dries, the paper falls off and
leaves the color behind on the egg.
Decoupaged eggs - Tear small pieces of wrapping
paper, napkins, stickers, or clip art. Mix equal amounts of glue and
water. Paint egg with glue mixture. Place paper on top and then cover
with more glue mixture. Let dry.
Spotted Eggs - Place 1 tsp. of cooking oil
in dye. Dip the egg. The oil will cause the dye to make an irregular
pattern on the egg.
Waxed Eggs - Dip a portion of the eggs in
melted paraffin or candle wax. Then dip them in the dye. Remove from
dye. Dry and peel off the wax. The egg will be white on one half and
colored on the other half. You can also dip in dye before waxing to
get two colors.
Hollow Eggs - Poke a hole in one end of
an egg with a very small needle. Poke another slightly larger hole
in the other end. Then blow on the small end and the egg will come
out the other side. Decorate as desired.
Tawra Kellam is the author of the frugal cookbook Not Just Beans:
50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites. Not Just Beans is a frugal
cookbook which has over 540 recipes and 400 tips. For more free tips
and recipes visit her web site at http://www.LivingOnADime.com/
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