Skip the packaged dyes for ones you can make yourself. The prep for this egg-dying extravaganza takes a little bit longer than plopping artificial dye into hot water, but the results are just as lovely and a lot more natural (not to mention safer to eat!). Make the egg dye ahead of time, or have your kids decorate their hard-boiled eggs with stickers while you cook up the colors on the stove. Once the dye has set on the eggs (it’ll take 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how deep you want your colors), you can peel off the stickers to reveal white patterns underneath.
Pink
- 1 15-ounce jar beets
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
Bring beets and water to a boil, let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour through a colander into a bowl to retain the liquid. Cool, then stir in vinegar.
Yellow
- 1 Tablespoon turmeric or curry powder
- 2 cups water
Bring spice and water to a boil, let simmer for 5 minutes. Cool.
Green
- 1 cup water
- 3 chlorophyll capsules (available at vitamin or health food stores)
Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Open up the capsules (you may need to snip off the ends), and stir the content into the water. Cool.
Blue
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
Bring blueberries and water to a boil, let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour through a colander into a bowl to retain the liquid. Cool, then stir in vinegar.
Note: Red cabbage makes a beautiful blue (less purple than the blueberry makes), but takes hours to set on the eggs. If your kids have the patience, make the dye by boiling ½ head of cabbage in 2 cups of water, then removing the cabbage pieces, cooling, and stirring in 1 teaspoon vinegar.
