Maker Monday: Kids and grownups can have fun dyeing Easter eggs with fruits and veggies

For generations, families who dye Easter eggs have bought tiny chemical tablets to change plain hardboiled eggs into colorful decorations. But as Easter arrives this year, Kidsburgh is sharing fun and easy tips for making your own natural egg dye with fruits and vegetables you may already have at home.

A note to kid makers: Please work with a parent or caregiver on this Maker Monday project and always be very careful when using tools of any kind or boiling water.

Maker Monday materials you’ll need:

• a few colorful fruits and/or vegetables (suggestions below)
• eggs (white eggs will show colors more brightly than brown eggs)
• white vinegar
• water (and a pot for boiling it)

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather ingredients for your dye. Choose foods and food scraps that create rich colors (see ideas below).

• Red/Pink: beets, raspberries
• Blue/Purple: red cabbage, blueberries
• Yellow/Orange: turmeric, yellow onion skins
• Green: spinach, parsley

STEP 2: Prep your eggs by hard boiling them. Once you remove them from the boiling water, let them cool completely.

STEP 3: Make your natural dye.

• Chop your fruits/veggies into pieces.
• Start with one color: Put 2 or 3 cups of water in a pot and then add your fruits/veggies for that color.
• Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. (While that first pot is simmering, you could get another pot and begin working on your next color.)
• When the liquid in the pot is done simmering, strain out the solid pieces of food.
• Once the liquid cools a bit, you can safely transfer it to a bowl or other container. (Then you can rinse the pot and use it to make dye for another color.)
• Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into the dye you have made. This will help the color stick to the eggs.

STEP 4: Dye the eggs

• Place cool hard-boiled eggs into the dye bath.
• Let them soak: 10–30 minutes will give you lighter shades. Soak for several hours or overnight for deeper colors.

STEP 5: Remove the eggs from the dye bath and let them air dry.

When all of your eggs are dry, you can create a centerpiece for your table or use them to decorate your home in other ways. You can also put them into an Easter basket!

Want more at-home fun creating cool stuff and making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday projects right here.

Do you have an idea for a Maker Monday craft project? If so, please share it with Kidsburgh! Send your maker activities to info@kidsburgh.org.