Natural Dyes

Good morning everyone,
For those who celebrate Easter and will be dyeing Easter Eggs this year, you can use this time to teach your children yet another way to avoid chemicals by not purchasing store-bought dyes. Make your own! It's fun and kids like seeing how simple ingredients can make such pretty eggs. Here are some common natural dyes:
...Red cabbage leaves makes light blue
...Onion skins make tan or reddish brown depending on the type of onion
...Fresh beets, raspberries or cranberries make light red
...Spinach Leaves make pale green
...Ground Turmeric, carrot tops or orange and lemon peels makes yellow
...Strong brewed coffe or tea makes beige to brown

You can place the material used in a pan with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Or you can skip the simmering part and simply cover the pot of just boiled water and set aside for 15 minutes. The longer you leave in the water mixture, the darker the color. Also, try wrapping the eggs with rubber bands before placing in the water and they will turn out with stripes.
You can also cook the eggs ahead of time and simply dip them in the strained, dyed water, but the colors will not be as intense. Whichever way you do it, add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to the water to set the color. Brush the eggs with melted paraffin before dipping in dye water for a pretty design. Careful! it's hot.
I'm offering a class on all of these things Friday, April 14th from 4:00 to 5:30. Call by Thursday to reserve your space.
Have fun!
Patty