How To Make Natural Easter Egg Food Coloring with Fruits & Vegetables

The sun is shining, the weather is warming up, and the tulips are blooming — all signs that Easter is just around the corner! And no Easter celebration would be complete without dyed eggs. If you haven’t started thinking about your Easter egg preparation, you better hop to it! While there are plenty of synthetic dying kits to choose from online, we think the very best dyes can be found right in your kitchen. Did you know that certain fruits and vegetables can actually make dye? Here’s how you can get wonderfully colorful and all natural dyed Easter eggs.

Prepare Your Eggs

Place your eggs in a large saucepan filled with cool water, and slowly bring it to boil on medium heat. Once the water has boiled, cover the pot and turn off the heat. After letting it sit for 10-15 minutes, move your eggs into a strainer and run them under cold water for one minute.

Choose Your Colors

Now that your eggs don’t run the risk of cracking the second a paint brush hits them, it’s time to add some color! Skip the chemicals found in synthetic dyes, and instead use this guide of fruits and vegetables to create your own natural dyes.

• Red beets = Pink to red
• Red onion skins = Pale purple to red
• Red cabbage = Blue
• Spinach = Green
• Cherries and strawberries = Deep red
• Purple grape juice (use as is) = Lavender
• Raspberries or blackberries = Pink/purple
• Blueberries = Blue
• Yellow or green apple peels = Yellow/green
• Carrots = Yellow/orange

It’s important to remember that natural dyes will take a little longer to work than synthetic ones, so make sure you can leave them to soak overnight.

Making Natural Dyes

Once you know what color you want your eggs to be, it’s time to create the dye.

Step 1: Chop or mash your fruits and veggies until you have enough to fill about 4 cups.

Step 2: Boil them in 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.

Step 3: Leave it to simmer for about 30 minutes and strain out any leftover fruit or vegetable bits.

Step 4: Place each color in a separate bowl and leave your eggs to soak overnight.

Add the Finishing Touches

While solid-colored eggs are beautiful all on their own, use some of these ideas to elevate your design skills:

• Delicately cut flowers, circles, stars, and other designs out of colored tissue paper. While your colored egg is still damp, lay the tissue paper on top of it. The juice residue will act like glue and keep the paper on the egg.
• Use metallic paint pens to add intricate designs to your eggs.
• Add some sparkle by sprinkling a bit of glitter over your eggs. Or, using the tip of an eraser, make glitter polka-dots.
• Add some stickers for an easy, yet still festive decoration. This is especially good for little ones who can’t quite paint or draw yet.

This Easter, do more than just design with fruits, enjoy them too! If you’re hosting or attending an Easter celebration, make sure there is plenty of delicious fruit. Our Easter collection features all the chocolate covered strawberries, pineapple, mangos, and even apple bunnies you’ll need to make this Easter perfect!