When Easter rolls around, everyone wants to get in on the fun of dying eggs. It’s a much-anticipated spring holiday tradition for many kids and families. Some treat it lightly, purchasing the dye kit at the grocery store, happy to apply some soft colors to those crisp, white eggshells. Others, like myself, take the tradition way too seriously.
When I dye eggs, I want COLOR! … and I want my eggs to be cooler than everyone else’s eggs. I get competitive when it comes to art projects. I know, weird.
But every year I try new fun ways of dying eggs. This year tie-dye is making a comeback, so I thought, “why not eggs, too!”
Tie-dye eggs are as easy as wrapping eggs in textured paper towels and dotting them with food coloring, then spritzing them with water. Giving each egg a light squeeze ensures that the paper towel transfers the color. Then you just let dry, and voila! Colorful, crafty eggs that are sure to win the egg dying competition — even if it’s only against yourself.
Be sure to check out the how-to video above.
Also see, Dying Eggs with Shaving Cream and Dying Eggs with Rice — a great one for little kids with little patience.
How to Tie-Dye Easter Eggs
What you’ll need:
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Food coloring
- Textured paper towels (Choose two different patterns to mix it up even more)
- Spray bottle filled with water
- Small rubber bands or hair ties
- Glass baking dish or cookie sheet (Somewhere non-porous where eggs can dry undisturbed for 4 to 8 hours)
- Rubber glove (if you don’t want color on your hands)
How to tie-dye Easter eggs:
- Place an egg in the center of a paper towel, and bunch up the towel around it, making sure the egg is completely engulfed. Secure the top with a rubber band.
- Squeeze drops of food coloring directly onto paper towel. (Tips: Less is more, especially with darker colors. When you add the water, the colors really bleed, so leave a little room between drops. Also, consider your color chart — if you squeeze red and green next to each other, you may end up with brown. Use green with caution, or only put it next to blue or yellow. Or just stick with the primary colors.)
- Take your spray bottle and spray water over the colored droplets. Try to get the colors to run so that the paper towel surrounding the entire egg is colored.
- Put on your rubber glove. Gently squeeze the paper towel to remove excess water, but mostly to help transfer the colors from the towel to the egg.
- Set eggs aside in a glass baking dish to dry. Overnight is ideal, but if you’re eager to see your eggs, you might be able to get away with peeling off the towel in 4 to 8 hours. Just lightly touch the towel to see if it’s dry. If you feel no dampness, you’re ready to unwrap!
- When dry, remove paper towels and behold your tie-dye beauties!
Also see, 14 Fun Facts about Peeps.
