Hey all! Has anyone ever heard or tried to dye eggs with natural materials such as onion skins? Or have you ever tried to use natural leaves and ferns and such as sort of like a stencil? I believe I saw this in a Country Living Magazine a while back. It did not give instructions. I am really wanting to try something like this, but need help getting started. If anyone knows how...could you email instructions and pics? Thanks, SBF
When I was a kid, my mom showed me how you could dye eggs with mottled shades of brown using onion skins. You just peel off the papery tan skins from the onion, wrap them around the eggs. Hold them on with rubber bands and drop them in hot water and let them sit for a while. I don't remember exact details. My mom's parents were from Estonia, and she seemed to think it was an eastern European way to dye eggs.
Every easter! Onion skins make yellow to brown. Red cabbage makes robin's egg blue. Beets make pink. You just cook the raw eggs in the ingredient with water and a couple tbsp white vinegar.
Helmstead, I only have brown eggs - what would onion skins do to them? I'm thinking the result would be too subtle to bother with.
How about using old silk ties with or without a print! I tried it last year and it was wonderful, easy and fun! Here is a link! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17819250/ I thought I took pics but I can't find them! Brenda PS I bought the ties at the thrift store, and you can use the ties over and over again!
You can make really cool etched eggs with onion skins and an exactoknife. Boil a lot of onion skins in water and then add a little vinegar and the egg. The more skins in the water and the longer you let it soak the darker it will be. Dry the egg and then scratch off the dyed layer to make an etched design. It only works well for home grown eggs, the store bought type have had the bloom washed off and have a more chalk like texture which doesn't hold the dye well. The color is a lighter yellow than iodine but is nice and dark.
