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It’s almost EASTER WEEK and time to dye those eggs for your Easter egg hunt!  We’ve experimented over the years with natural dyes, my favorite super saturated Ukrainian Egg dyes and just leaving these beauties au natural, since our chickens give us plenty of color and variety as it is!

But dyeing eggs is always a fun tradition no matter what method you use. These are the natural dye methods and processes we found gave the best results – and a link to my FAVORITE tried and true Ukrainian egg dyes for a sure bet on vibrant, beautiful easter eggs!

I researched a lot of methods for natural egg dyes and tried a few different processes – but I found the key to rich colors was leaving them in the solutions in the fridge overnight to soak. Vinegar is important in the right quantity to keep that color sticking but not bubbling up dye on the surface. Some are better boiled and some just sit in cold water. 

It’s a fun experiment to see different kinds of product producing these rich, natural colors – some you wouldn’t expect. For example, RED cabbage boiled in water will produce a BLUE hue on eggs! Carrot tops (the greens) produce a soft yellow and Tumeric is a sure bet for deep yellow-orange. Onion skins produce all different results and even coffee can be used for a brown dye!

Better Homes & Gardens recommendations for Natural Colors:

Bluish-Gray
Mix 1 cup frozen blueberries with 1 cup water, bring to room temperature, and remove blueberries.

Blue
Yes, red cabbage dyed Easter eggs turn out blue! Cut 1/4 head of red cabbage into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar. Let cool to room temperature and remove cabbage with a slotted spoon.

Jade Green
Peel the skin from 6 red onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.

Faint Green-Yellow
Peel the skin from 6 yellow apples. Simmer in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Simmer 4 oz. chopped fennel tops in 1-1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Orange
The longer you soak these onion dyed eggs, the darker the color will be. Take the skin of 6 yellow onions and simmer in 2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 3 tsp. white vinegar.

Faint Red-Orange
Stir 2 Tbsp. paprika into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Yellow
Rich yellow: Simmer 4 oz. chopped carrot tops in 1-1/2 cups water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Mustard-yellow: Stir 2 Tbsp. turmeric into 1 cup boiling water; add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Various shades: Steep 4 bags of chamomile or green tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes.
Pale yellow: Chop 4 oz. goldenrod and simmer in 2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.
Faint yellow: Simmer the peels of 6 oranges in 1-1/2 cups water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. vinegar.

Brown-Gold
Simmer 2 Tbsp. dill seed in 1 cup water for 15 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Brown
Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup strong coffee.

Pink
Faint pink: Chop 4 oz. amaranth flowers and simmer in 2 cups water; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Simmer the skins from 6 avocados in 1-1/2 cup water for 20 minutes; strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar. Mix 1 cup pickled beet juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Dark pink: These beet dyed eggs will darken the longer they sit in the liquid. Cut 1 medium beet into chunks and add to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar and let cool to room temperature; remove beets.

Lavender
Mix 1 cup grape juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

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Natural dyes are beautiful, but lots of work – in my family, we’ve always loved deep dark hus for our Easter Eggs and found the best, quickest, easiest results with Ukrainian Egg Dyes. 

The whole kit has some awesome supplies for Ukrainian decorations using hot wax and intricate designs. Also really fun but takes some steady hands!

*The GOLD Eggs we used a Martha Stewart Gold Gilding Paint – also pretty spectacular!

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HAPPY EASTER! Enjoy your eggs no matter how you choose to dye or not to dye! 🙂