3 Ways to Refresh an Egg-cellent Tradition!

Many families spend an afternoon in the springtime dying hard-boiled eggs using standard kits that come complete with dyes and plastic cups for nostalgic fun. There are even common tips, like adding patterns and words using a white wax crayon that repels the colorful dyes – but if you’re an “eggs-pert” who has tried all the standard tricks, we have three awesome ideas to help you take this tradition to the next level like a true innovator!

Explore Different Materials

Don’t settle for solid colors with the classic dip-dying technique. Instead, make eggs with a marbled design using common household ingredients. Once you’ve hard-boiled your eggs, you’re ready to gather a baking dish, paper towels, whipped cream, food coloring and a toothpick. Cover the bottom of your baking dish entirely with whipped cream, add drops of food coloring generously and swirl the colors together with your toothpick – be careful not to blend the colors entirely, as we want to maintain the marbled look! Take an egg and roll it slowly across the whipped cream until fully covered, then set it aside to dry fully on a paper towel before gently removing any excess cream. 

Tip – to keep your hands stain-free, you might want to wear gloves or use a spoon to roll and move your eggs.

Skip the Kit and DIY

Take the ultimate test of creativity and practice real-world STEAM skills by creating your own egg dye! Fruits, vegetables and spices all can be used to create colors and hues naturally. A few ingredients we’ve seen success with are blueberries for a blue color; turmeric for yellow; coffee grounds for brown; or beets to produce a pink dye. To develop the colors, simmer any of these ingredients with water, strain to remove any large pieces, and add a few teaspoons of white vinegar. Keep experimenting (with adult supervision) until you get the colors you imagined! Don’t forget to hard-boil your eggs before trying out your natural dye.

Get Crackin’ and Try Something New

Not a fan of hard-boiled eggs? No worries! Explore the rich cultural history of cascarones, the colorful, hollowed eggshells filled with confetti. These are meant to be cracked gently over the heads of loved ones during spring celebrations, showering them in colorful confetti – don’t try this with the hard-boiled egg recipes! 

To make your own, start by cracking the top of a few eggs and draining them into a bowl to save for a yummy breakfast. Rinse any residue out of the newly empty shells and let dry. With your dried eggshells, carefully use standard art paint to cover the outside with your favorite colors! When the paint is dry to the touch, fill each egg with confetti! To keep from spilling the filling, use a glue stick and small squares of tissue paper to gently seal the hole at the top of your eggshells.

Tip – you can use spare construction paper or tissue paper and a holepunch to create your own rainbow confetti. Alternatively, if you’re planning to crack these eggs outside, you may want to fill with biodegradable confetti, birdseed or native wildflower seeds – remember to always protect local wildlife by cleaning up any harmful debris!

Never Stop Exploring!

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