Dyeing Easter Eggs botanical style

Easter Eggs Botanical style

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) 

Eco prints using leaves - book covers

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.

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. 

Sometimes stretching the stocking
over a cup helps if you don't
have a second set of hands

Gently place plant matter around the egg and then release the stocking over the egg. Rearrange plant matter if it has moved. 

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

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.

Egg parcels ready for the dye pot

Daisy flower 

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.  

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. 

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...