No parent wants their family holiday traditions to be harmful, but dyeing Easter eggs often includes toxic dyes. Scientists have linked food dyes and colors to childhood conditions like ADHD and cancer. When it comes to our children, we want to keep their toxic load as low as possible so they get a good start at a healthy life. Playing with harmful food colorings that absorb through their skin can increase that toxic load. But it doesn’t have to! There are many ways to dye Easter eggs naturally, and experimenting with new dyes can be fun!
There are Safe Egg Dyeing Options
Now you can try natural food coloring or these safe egg dyeing kits if you’re short on time. But if you really want to have fun, try coloring with ordinary, natural foods, you might already have in the house. It’s a bit slower than the toxic egg dyeing kits, but it can be much more fun. Don’t just trust us; test it out for yourself! #wedontguesswetest
Your kids will think you are the coolest parent when you take things from the refrigerator and cupboard to dye Easter eggs naturally. We have a few recommendations, but there’s nothing wrong with treating this like a science experiment. You can try different foods your kids suggest to color your eggs. Some we tried were just meh, like parsley, swiss chard, and raspberry tea, but experimenting can be part of the fun.
Naturally dyeing eggs requires some prep work, and most require the eggs to sit in the dye overnight to get more vibrant colors. But if you were afraid of some prep work, you wouldn’t have made it this far. Walking away from the project while the eggs are dyeing is also nice. It means you get to skip the part where you sit with your kids, staring at an egg in a bowl of food coloring while waiting to take it out. Since they sit overnight, you pop them in the dye and walk away. The next day, you get to open your jars to see what colors they turned. It takes patience, but you can see the benefit of dividing this project over a few days.
What are Our Favorite Natural Easter Egg Dyes Made of?
Turmeric – This can help you achieve the brightest shade of yellow. If you have our liquid herb, you know how easily this herb stains. Depending on how bright you want your eggs, you can use a few teaspoons of the liquid or powder.
Blueberries or even Acai Berries – You can try frozen or fresh to make your eggs a fun shade of purple. These work very well to help you get a vibrant color.
Beets or Beet Juice – Chop some beets or go straight for beet juice to get some great pinks and reds. We have seen beet juice work very well for vibrant reds. The nice thing about beet juice is it doesn’t need to be boiled. You’ll hear more about that later.
Red Cabbage – We were skeptical about the red cabbage, but it works very well to get nice blue colors. Yes, blue! You boil the cabbage, and after it cools down, you can add baking soda, altering the pH to make a lovely robin’s egg blue. If you add vinegar instead, it will turn a light purple.
Yellow Onion Skins – Looking for orange eggs? Use yellow onion skins. Save them over time or scoop them out of the bottom of the onion bin. These will turn your eggs a rustic terracotta orange.
Spinach- You have to have green Easter eggs! Spinach will help you get the best shade of bright green.
How Do You Naturally Dye Easter Eggs?
It’s easy, but it takes some prep work. You will add your dye matter to 2 cups of cold water and bring it to a boil on the stove. For spinach, beets, red cabbage, and other veggies, chop two cups before you put them in the water. Once you add the vegetable matter to the boiling water, ensure an inch of water is over the dye matter. If there isn’t, add more water. Once you bring the pot to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 30-60 minutes, depending on how deep you want your colors. After you reach the desired time, take the pot off the heat and allow it to cool. Once it is cool, strain it if needed, and then add your dye to a jar. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and then your eggs. Leave in refrigerator overnight, or longer, for brighter colors.
Make a New, Safe Egg Dyeing Traditions
Your colors won’t be as bright as the toxic colors, but who wants toxic brightness anyways? Kids will be amazed, and you will start a new holiday tradition without the toxins. Your kids will remember the fun and creativity! Check out our other healthy Easter ideas. You will give them healthy memories for a healthy lifestyle.
