Easter is a week away and I want to share the way I’ve always been dyeing my eggs. I prefer to dye Easter Eggs with natural dyes derived from vegetables, fruit and spices. I’m also sharing a few Egg Hunt Riddles that can be used around the house.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always dyed Easter eggs with natural dyes. I remember my grandmother using onion skins to dye the eggs every year and I guess that I got used to it. I did wish that she would use something different because I was tired of the same old brown eggs, every year. A kid wants more colors and more fun. So when I grew up and started to dye my own eggs, I found more ways to get more colors.
My grandmother used to always tell me stories from when she was a young girl and their mom wouldn’t let them have make up. So instead, they found other things to use. She told me that they used beets as lipstick and how great it worked as a natural dye. I tried it on eggs and it worked great! A few years ago, I learned about blueberries and turmeric. They both work wonderfully!
Beets will get you a light pink color. Grate 3 medium beets and combine them with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring them to low boil on medium heat and simmer for a few minutes. Strain and add beet juice to a bowl with already cooked eggs, covering the eggs. (More eggs will require more mixture.)
Onion Skins will give out a brown color. Peel the outer, dry skin off of 6 red onions and place them in a small pot. Add enough water to cover them (about 2 cups). Simmer for about 10 minutes and strain water into a bowl. Mix with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and add hard boiled eggs. Make sure that eggs are covered.
Turmeric will give you yellow color. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp of turmeric to boil. Mix well and add it to the bowl with hard boiled eggs, covering them.
Blueberries will give you a beautiful blue color with a pattern. I call them the Earth eggs. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, 2 Tbsp of water and 1 Tbsp of vinegar. Cook on medium heat until blueberries get soft, about 5-7 minutes. Mash them with a potato masher and add the blueberry puree to the bowl with hard boiled eggs, covering them.
**Keep the eggs in the dyes for at least 4 hours. You can even do it overnight, just place them in the fridge after a few hours on the counter.**
Dyeing Eggs Naturally and Egg Hunt Riddles
Ingredients
- 12 Hard boiled eggs
- 3 beets
- 6 red onion Skins
- 1 oz turmeric root
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 6 cups water
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Beets will get you a light pink color. Grate 3 medium beets and combine them with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring them to low boil on medium heat and simmer for a few minutes. Strain and add beet juice to a bowl with already cooked eggs, covering the eggs. (More eggs will require more mixture.)
- Onion Skins will give out a brown color. Peel the outer, dry skin off of 6 red onions and place them in a small pot. Add enough water to cover them (about 2 cups). Simmer for about 10 minutes and strain water into a bowl. Mix with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and add hard boiled eggs. Make sure that eggs are covered.
- Turmeric will give you yellow color. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp of turmeric to boil. Mix well and add it to the bowl with hard boiled eggs, covering them.
- Blueberries will give you a beautiful blue color with a pattern. I call them the Earth eggs. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, 2 Tbsp of water and 1 Tbsp of vinegar. Cook on medium heat until blueberries get soft, about 5-7 minutes stir occasionally. Mash them with a potato masher and add the blueberry puree to the bowl with hard boiled eggs, covering them.
- **Keep the eggs in the dyes for at least 4 hours. You can even do it overnight, just place them in the fridge after a few hours on the counter.**
Notes
Nutrition
Egg Hunt Riddles
I waited a year to post these!! Last year, I put on a small egg hunt for my little man and my sister. It’s quite easy to do an egg hunt for a three-year-old but I wanted to make it challenging for my twelve-year-old sister. I thought that she would find them a little too easy just scattered around the back yard, so I got some riddles together and hid them all over the house. Some riddles I wrote with my hubby and a couple of them I found. We had a great time with it!
(Sorry about the terrible cell phone photos!)
#1
Shakespeare, Keats
And other great tomes,
Can all work wonders
To fill happy tums!
(Bookshelf)
#2
Staring at this,
Narcissus got stuck.
So don’t stop looking,
and don’t give up.
(Mirror)
#3
If you are not sick
It helps you at dawn,
It’s very quick,
There’s no time to yawn.
(Coffeemaker)
#4
You’ve been at this for some time
Now you’re starting to rhyme,
Your next egg is hidden
Behind a fun system.
(Video game system or music system)
#5
Something you look out to spy
To watch birds or cars going by.
It could be low,
It could be high,
Stand real close and you’ll see the sky!
(By the window)
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My Site says
You really did great on this post! Thank you for sharing such wonderful ideas that we can use during Easter. It’s a good thing that I searched for natural ways of dyeing eggs. Every time I conduct Easter egg hunt for my kids, I’m a little bit anxious that the colors painted on the eggs might be toxic. I always buy water based paints in the market. Thank God I found your blog. Now, I will not worry about my kids health when it comes to paint found in Eater eggs. Thanks also for the bonus which are the riddles that you shared, my kids will be challenge whenever they try to find the eggs. I will also incorporate mind games and puzzles. Looking forward for your future posts 🙂
Vanessa says
I definitely want to try this! They look beautiful!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Thank you for a great post — I did the same with the treasure hunt for the grandsons. I got the plastic eggs that open and the clues would advance from one to the other. I had plastic eggs everywhere. Then at the end there would be a basket with little treasures — candy and small gifts. The challenge was two way — one grandson was four years older than the other two but we started each one with a specific egg and they went from there. They had a lot of fun and it was more time consuming for them than the regular Easter Egg Hunt. Your eggs look great, I love the natural look to them.
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
Love these, Lyuba. They have a vintage look to them, which I totally dig! 🙂