Easter
Ideas that won’t spill and don’t stink.
Dyeing Easter eggs is so much fun, and it’s such a nostalgic thing to do with your own kids. Now, you’re the one who gets to set up all the dye cups and crayons, and hand everyone their little wire egg dipper. But egg dyeing techniques have come a long way since we were kids. If you’re not interested in scrubbing dye off your kids’ hands and making your whole house smell like vinegar this year, here are some of the best ways to dye Easter eggs from social media.
Many a wise parent has set up their kids’ egg dyeing station outside, both to keep the vinegar scent from overtaking their home and to prevent the dye from staining any furniture. But if you don’t have that option, a less stinky, messy method of dyeing eggs might be nice. Especially if you’re dyeing eggs with young kids who might be prone to tipping over the dye cups, using something like Cool Whip or shaving cream to apply the colors might be more user-friendly. And for big kids who’ve dyed eggs year after year, it may just be more fun to try something new.
So, give one of these techniques a spin this year. Who knows — you may just start a brand new tradition for your family.
1
Make your dye into a paint.
Not only does this method look super fun for kids and adults, it’s perfect for little egg enthusiasts. They can paint on their dye instead of trying to dip the eggs into cups, and there’s no waiting period for the dye to turn vibrant.
Just mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of water to make a paste, and add a few drops of food coloring to turn it into “paint.” Turn your eggs into little masterpieces, and when you’re ready slowly pour vinegar over top to set the dye into a beautiful marbled pattern.
2
Tie-dye them with shaving cream.
Boil your eggs, then soak them in vinegar so they’re ready to absorb all that color. While they’re marinating, prep some shaving cream and food coloring on paper plates, then roll your eggs in the fluff. Let them rest for an hour or so before rinsing to reveal the tie dye underneath. You could also use Cool Whip in place of shaving cream, if you want everything you use in the dyeing process to be edible for fast toddler hands.
3
Dyeing eggs with rice? Worth a shot.
Want to keep the dyes really contained and off your little ones’ hands? You could try this method, where you just add rice and food coloring to a bag with the egg and shake, shake, shake. It leaves you with a cool speckled pattern, and it’d be fun to move the same egg between bags and layer up your colors.
4
Pull out the markers and paper towels.
For this method, you’ll need paper towels, a glass of vinegar, markers, and rubber bands. Doodle to your heart’s content on the paper towel before wrapping it around your egg and securing it with a rubber band. Dunk it into the vinegar so the colors set into the shell, and remove the paper towel once the dye is as vibrant as you’d like. Just a note: If you intend to eat your eggs, this may not be the best approach, unless you have food-safe markers.
5
Use a coffee filter for egg dyeing.
OK, same idea as the last method, but a different execution. Let your kids color coffee filters and wrap their eggs inside, then spritz them with vinegar in a spray bottle (which is genius to prevent spills).
6
Order this cute Easter gadget.
If you’re anti-dye in any form, you could stick to coloring the eggs with markers. This little Peep-shaped contraption spins the egg so your kid can just press the tip of their marker onto the shell and create perfectly straight stripes all the way around.
However you dye your eggs this year, hopefully you wind up with minimal mess and maximum fun.
