April 9, 2023How to Make Onion-Skin Dyed Nature Printed Easter Eggs

How to Make Onion-Skin Dyed Nature Printed Easter Eggs
Author: Josée Bergeron, Backwoods Mama

Dyeing Easter eggs using naturally derived dyes is an age old tradition that has recently seen a recent resurgence. There’s something satisfying about creating a coulourful cast of eggs from things such as onion skins, purple cabbage, beets, turmeric and tea. While there’s a whole list of natural items that can be used to dye eggs, onion skin is a a traditional material that creates a beautiful deep orange-red hue on white eggs. When you pair this method of dyeing eggs with using bits of nature to create nature prints on the eggs the result is simple magical.

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Onion-Skin Nature Printed Easter eggs

Making onion-skin nature printed Easter eggs is quite simple. Start saving up dry yellow or purple onions skins a few weeks before doing this project. Alternatively, buy a bulk bag of onions and rub off a bunch of onion skins. I like to fill up a gallon sized plastic bag with onion skins which is about the equivalent of about a dozen onions worth. If you’re worried that the onion skins will make your eggs taste onion-y, they won’t. Your eggs will still taste perfectly eggy.

When it comes to choosing bits of nature for printing the eggs, I suggest picking smaller items that will lay flat on the egg. Some popular options include: cilantro, flat parsley, strawberry leaves, cedar twigs, sage leaves, and violets. You can also experiment with things like lace, and string too.

Equipment

  • Medium pot
  • Sieve
  • Scissors
  • Bowl

Materials

  • 1 dozen white eggs
  • 1 gallon bag dry yellow or purple onions skins from (about a dozen onions)
  • 4-6 cups water (approximate)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 pair nylons
  • 12 bits nature (parsley, cilantro, strawberry leaves, flowers etc.)
  • olive oil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Boil the onion skins: Place the onion skins in a medium sized pot and cover with approximately four to six cups water. This isn’t an exact science. Just make sure the water covers the onion skins. Bring the water to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  2. Prep the eggs: Place a piece nature flat on an egg and wrap the egg tightly in a nylon. This works best by tying a knot at each of the nylon.
  3. Strain the dye: Pour the onion skin dye through a sieve to remove the skins. Place the dye back into the medium pot.
  4. Add the vinegar: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to the dye and stir to combine.
  5. Dye and cook the eggs: Place the eggs gently into the pot of dye. Bring the dye to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the eggs cook in the hot liquid. Remove the eggs from the hot dye at 6 minutes for a soft boiled eggs, 8 minutes for a medium boiled eggs and 10 minutes for a hard boiled eggs. Place the eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool the eggs.
  6. Remove the nylons: Cut or untie the nylon from the eggs to reveal the beautiful nature print below.
  7. Rub eggs with olive oil (optional): Rub the eggs with olive oil to give them a nice shine.

Onion-Skin Nature Printed Easter eggs

Equipment

  • Medium pot
  • Sieve
  • Scissors
  • Bowl

Materials

  • 1 dozen eggs white
  • 1 gallon bag dry yellow or purple onions skins from about a dozen onions
  • 4-6 cups water approximate
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 pair nylons
  • 12 bits nature (parsley, cilantro, strawberry leaves, flowers etc.)
  • olive oil optional

Instructions

  • Boil the onion skins: Place the onion skins in a medium sized pot and cover with approximately four to six cups water. This isn't an exact science. Just make sure the water covers the onion skins. Bring the water to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  • Prep the eggs: Place a piece nature flat on an egg and wrap the egg tightly in a nylon. This works best by tying a knot at each of the nylon.
  • Strain the dye: Pour the onion skin dye through a sieve to remove the skins. Place the dye back into the medium pot.
  • Add the vinegar: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to the dye and stir to combine.
  • Dye and cook the eggs: Place the eggs gently into the pot of dye. Bring the dye to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the eggs cook in the hot liquid. Remove the eggs from the hot dye at 6 minutes for a soft boiled eggs, 8 minutes for a medium boiled eggs and 10 minutes for a hard boiled eggs. Place the eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool the eggs.
  • Remove the nylons: Cut or untie the nylon from the eggs to reveal the beautiful nature print below.
  • Rub eggs with olive oil (optional): Rub the eggs with olive oil to give them a nice shine.
How to Make Nature Printed Eggs by Backwoods Mama

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