If you read this blog, you know that I am most definitely not a DIY mom, or a Pinterest project aficionado. In fact, stories like these make me pee my pants in appreciation (thank you Leah, from Freutcake)…

… but we are a family that places a ton of importance on healthy eating, organically grown food sources, and educating our kiddos about food in general.

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So when it came time to color our eggs for Easter… I was determined to skip the pre-made pellets, and instead derive our dyes from fruits, vegetables and spices.

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I googled “naturally dyed eggs”, and a really beautiful post popped up from KaleyAnn.com. I pretty much followed her instructions word for word… only skipping out on the coffee grounds because I ran out of time.

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We used blueberries, purple cabbage, curcumin, spinach, beets and paprika.

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My son, Parker (five), LOVED this project. He was super excited to prepare the jars with the different foods, and then of course to watch as the eggs turned colors.

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We placed two eggs in each jar, keeping one egg in for a few hours, and one in overnight to create a gradient of shades.

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They turned out so beautiful… and perfectly imperfect… just as nature intended!

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Our favorite and most vibrant colors came from the purple cabbage, curcumin and beets.

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I mean, gorgeous, right???

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The only color that was a bit of a dud came from the spinach (which was also the case for Kaley), so if anyone has come up with a better way to achieve a more saturated green… let me know!

We are headed out of town for the weekend to do a bit of “glamping” and I’m bringing (I mean the Easter Bunny is bringing) these eggcellent eggs with us for a little hunt in the wild!

I think they will feel right at home 😉 .

Instructions are below!

For all of the dyes… take the food ingredient, water, and salt, and boil for 10 minutes. Pour the liquid dye into mason jars and add the vinegar and eggs. Check on their progress until you get the desired hue!

Blue:

  • 2 cups of chopped purple cabbage
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)

Purple/Blue:

  • 2-3 cups of blueberries
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)

Pink:

  • 1 beet chopped
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)

Orange/Brown:

  • 1-2 tablespoons of paprika
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)

Yellow:

  • 1-2 tablespoons of turmeric
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)

Green:

  • 3 cups of chopped spinach
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vinegar (added after you boil)