Easter Eggs Botanical style
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| Eco dyed eggs are an easy project for children and adults alike |
I’ve been dyeing yarn and
fabric and making contact prints using botanical material for
years now. One of my favourite times of year is Easter, not just for the
chocolate 😃 but because it’s an excuse to dye eggs. The patterns on paper and fabric are unique and satisfying. (see some below)
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| Eco prints using leaves - book covers |
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| Plants make beautiful prints on paper and fabric |
Dyeing eggs is an activity that
everyone in the family can do, in fact, having an extra pair of hands at the
wrapping stage is very ‘handy’, ( ;-) pardon the pun!) You will find everything you need in the kitchen.
Materials:
-Eggs (I purchased the cheapest eggs and cooked a dozen (in case of breakages)
-Food dye - use half of the dye to get a strong colour and enough water to cover the egg
(You can use fabric dyes but this equipment must
be used only for dyeing, not for cooking. )
-small flowers or leaf matter: small ferns are great, impatien flowers,
daisies, flowers with small petals
-Onion skins – 2 handsful (either
red or brown onions work best and just the outer skin, no flesh)
-Saucepan for onion skins
-Saucepan for food dye
-Dessertspoon (to lift eggs out when
hot)
-Small bowls to mix dye in
-narrow sticky tape
-bowl to sit eggs in once they are
dyed
-old pantyhose/ stockings – cut off the body part and cut the legs into
sections. Allow about 8” (20cm) for each egg.
-sticky dots or sticky shape labels
(these can be attached to the eggs as a resist)
METHOD
1. Place eggs into cold water, bring to the boil,
boil for 3 minutes and allow them to cool.
2. Put onion skins in enough water
to cover them, bring to the boil, simmer for 30 mins to increase the colour.
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| Spread out the stocking with your hand place the egg in then position plant matter around it |
3. Cut stockings into sections. Tie
ONE end of each section.
4. Sit boiled egg into stretched-out
stocking.
5.
Gently place plant matter around the egg and then release the stocking
over the egg. Rearrange plant matter if it has moved.
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| Sometimes stretching the stocking over a cup helps if you don't have a second set of hands |
This is where two people come in handy – one to
hold the stretched stocking and the egg, the other person to arrange the plant
matter and tie up the top of the stocking.
6. OPTIONAL** Place sticky dots on
the outside of the egg; OR… put sticky tape around the eggs to make straight
lines
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| Twist the top of the stocking to secure the egg inside, then knot it |
7. Secure the top of the egg parcel with a knot.
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| Egg parcels ready for the dye pot |
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| Daisy flower |
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| Add caption |
(left) Sometimes, even boiled eggs can crack when being placed inside the stocking. 😡 This one could have been boiled a little longer...😖
8. Bring water in a small saucepan to the boil and add your chosen food colour (or fabric) dye.
9. Slide the egg parcel into the food dye pot or onion dye pot.
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| Moisten the impatien white flower so it sticks to the edge of the egg |
10. Leave bubbling away for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool down.
Voila! Dyed easter eggs for your table.
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| The impatien leaves its mark by resisting the dye |
I love the fern imprint the most.
If you dye eggs with your family, post pictures to share on Facebook (and tag me 'Linda Douglas Brisbane') or on Instagram and use the hashtag #wildaboutbooksnprint #dyedeastereggs2018 #wildaboutyarneggs
Happy Happy Easter to everyone. Stay safe and eat plenty of chocolate.
Lu xxxx
NOTE: With all the heating and cooling
and then leaving eggs out on the table for show, I don’t recommend eating these dyed
eggs. J ) Eat the chocolate ones instead...
NEW POST:
To all my yarn loving followers here and on IG, I have a new enamel pin and I'm loving it! Put it on your project bag to remind you to take time to relax and do cosy things with friends or family or on your own. Find it here: Enamel pin, Make time for Hygge
You will probably know how important hygge (pronounced as hue-ga) is to the Danish community as there are many books and articles about it lately. Hygge is not something we do for one month -it's a lifestyle choice and it's something everyone everywhere can do. I hope you like the pin and purchase one for you or for a friend. (Postage is $3.50 for up to 3 pins in one parcel)
to relax and spend time with friends. It is shown below. Find it here...
To all my yarn loving followers here and on IG, I have a new enamel pin and I'm loving it! Put it on your project bag to remind you to take time to relax and do cosy things with friends or family or on your own. Find it here: Enamel pin, Make time for Hygge
You will probably know how important hygge (pronounced as hue-ga) is to the Danish community as there are many books and articles about it lately. Hygge is not something we do for one month -it's a lifestyle choice and it's something everyone everywhere can do. I hope you like the pin and purchase one for you or for a friend. (Postage is $3.50 for up to 3 pins in one parcel)
