better homes and gardens easter recipes

Make Natural Easter Egg Dye with Ingredients in Your Kitchen

Use these recipes made from household ingredients to create natural egg dye in beautifully subdued shades. Leave these naturally dyed Easter eggs soaking in the refrigerator overnight for the richest colors.

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Creating naturally dyed eggs isn't difficult! We'll show you how to color eggs naturally using our simple recipes starring household ingredients like spices, fruits, and vegetables. Whether you're looking for onion dyed eggs or cabbage dyed Easter eggs, we've got fun ideas for creating a rainbow of colored eggs using natural Easter egg dye. Once you know how to dye eggs naturally, try experimenting to create new shades. These egg dye recipes are a great way to use up food scraps or spices that are past their best-by date. Follow our easy instructions to create a batch for your egg hunt or Easter decor.

using natural dyes for easter egg decorating

How To Make Natural Egg Dye

What You Need

Natural Easter egg dye recipe, below
Hard-boiled eggs
Large wide-mouth jar (such as these Ball Glass Mason Jars, $10, Target)

When dyeing Easter eggs naturally, the shade may vary from ingredient to ingredient, but you can generally expect the following colors. You should be able to fit two to six eggs per jar depending on size. Soak your eggs in the refrigerator longer to increase the intensity of the colors; we recommend soaking overnight.

Bluish-Gray: Mix 1 cup frozen mashed blueberries with 1 cup water, bring to room temperature, and let sit until the water is colored. Strain blueberries before adding hard-boiled eggs.

Blue: Yes, red cabbage dyed Easter eggs turn out blue! Cut a head of red cabbage into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Let cool to room temperature and remove cabbage with a slotted spoon ($15, Williams Sonoma).

Jade Green: Peel the skin from 6 red onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 teaspoons of white vinegar.

Faint Green-Yellow: Peel the skin from 6 yellow apples. Simmer in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Simmer 4 ounces chopped fennel tops in 1-1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.

Orange: The longer you soak these onion dyed eggs, the darker the color will be. Take the skin of 6 yellow onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 teaspoons of white vinegar.

Faint Red-Orange: Stir 2 tablespoons paprika into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.

Yellow: Rich yellow: Simmer 4 oz. chopped carrot tops in 1-1/2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Mustard-yellow: Stir 2 tablespoons turmeric into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 teaspoons white vinegar. Various shades: Steep 4 bags of chamomile or green tea ($3, Target) in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes. Pale yellow: Chop 4 ounces goldenrod and simmer in 2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Faint yellow: Simmer the peels of 6 oranges in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar.

Brown-Gold: Simmer 2 tablespoons dill seed in 1 cup water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.

Brown: Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of strong coffee.

Pink: Faint pink: Chop 4 ounces amaranth flowers and simmer in 2 cups water; strain. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Simmer the skins from 6 avocados in 1-1/2 cup water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 teaspoon white vinegar. Medium pink: Mix 1 cup pickled beet juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Dark pink: These beet-dyed eggs will darken the longer they sit in the liquid. Cut 1 medium beet into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and let cool to room temperature; remove beets.

Lavender: Mix 1 cup grape juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Teal: Soak eggs in blue made from red cabbage and then soak eggs in yellow made with turmeric.

Worried about the flavor of the finished natural Easter eggs? According to our Test Kitchen, unless the eggs are cracked they shouldn't absorb the flavors of the natural dyes. Keep the eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week until you're ready to display. Get our favorite ideas for decorating with dyed Easter eggs!