This post shares all about how to dye eggs with food coloring, including two different ways! The first is the traditional dip-dyed method using vinegar, and the second is a method used to create a marbled effect using shaving cream.
How to Dye Eggs With Food Coloring: Two Different Ways
Hey guys! Like (hopefully) the rest of the world, I was stuck inside most of the time this past weekend. While R had a nap on Saturday, I decided to do a little Easter egg dyeing. Last year I only painted some wooden eggs…I’ve actually never dyed eggs as an adult if you can believe it. These are some of the things I’m looking forward to doing when R gets a bit bigger.
But in quarantine there are no egg dyeing kits. (Although I do remember loving those kits as a kid, mostly because of the little paper egg stands they came with…and the stickers). Just stuff I have in my kitchen. Like food coloring, water, and white vinegar. And shaving cream in the bathroom 🙂 So today I’m using only regular household supplies to dye eggs…let’s chat about the two different methods I used!
Supplies for Dyeing Eggs With Household Items
- Food coloring—this is the stuff I have
- White vinegar
- Cups and spoons
- Shaving cream foam—make sure it’s foam, not gel
- Muffin pan or similar
Method 1: Dye eggs with food coloring using the dip-dye method
The first method is the traditional egg dyeing approach. It works by submerging a hard-boiled egg completely in a mixture of water, vinegar, and food coloring.
Step 1: Prep the food coloring dye baths
Mix hot tap water, white vinegar, and food coloring drops as follows: For each cup of water used, add roughly 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 30–40 drops of food coloring. The amount of food coloring you use will determine how vivid the color is.
If you have a traditional primary color food coloring set, you can mix the colors to get different shades and colors. I recommend using glass cups because the dye baths won’t affect the color of the cups. The food coloring could permanently discolor a light-colored plastic cup, so just keep that in mind.
Step 2: Submerge the eggs in the food coloring dye baths
Use a spoon to gently add a single egg to each cup. Gently stir the egg every few minutes to make sure the color is evenly dispersed. You can also create a bit of a “splatter” effect on the eggs by dropping a few additional drops of food coloring into the dye bath directly onto the egg.
This effect is subtle and I actually realized you could do it by accident 🙂 You’ll notice it in some of the final photos of the eggs at the end of this post. Don’t leave the eggs in for longer than 5–7 minutes. Periodically check for color depth by lifting the egg out of the dye bath.
Step 3: Let eggs dry
Once your eggs have reached their desired color, take them out and set them on a cloth to dry. The color will change a bit as they dry, and some of the patterns might, too.
Method 2: Dye eggs with food coloring and shaving cream
The second method uses food coloring and shaving cream to create a marbled effect. I’ll share a few tips about how to get the best results throughout this tutorial.
Step 1: Squirt shaving cream and food coloring
First I filled each muffin tin (or in my case, a silicone container used to baking breads) with some shaving cream. Then I added a few drops of food coloring to each opening. I then used toothpicks to “swirl” the colors around.
As with dip-dyeing, the more color you add, the more vivid it will be. The shaving cream will also dilute your colors as you mix them in. So if you want more striking patterns, don’t mix the dyes in too much. I mixed mine in quite a bit, so the effect on my eggs was a bit more muted.
Step 2: Dye eggs!
Push each egg halfway down into the shaving cream/dye mixtures. Let them sit for 10–15 minutes, then pick the egg up and repeat step 1 with dyes and mixing. (You don’t need to add anymore shaving cream unless you want to add in more white for mixing.)
Then plop the egg back down on the side that hasn’t been dyed. Let this sit submerged for 10–15 minutes. If your colors aren’t as vivid as you’d like them to be, repeat steps 1 and 2 for more depth!
Step 3: Let dry and rinse off
Take your eggs out and set them on a towel. (Remember to use a dark towel to avoid ruining it with any dye. Or just use a paper towel.) Let them dry, then rinse them off using plain old water from the tap. Let dry again.
Finished eggs dyed with food coloring!
And here are my finished eggs…all dyed using food coloring, vinegar, and shaving cream! They turned out pretty gorgeous, didn’t they? I was really pleased with these food colorings, too. Lovely colors!
For more simple projects to do with kids, check out my piggy bank jar upcycle, my DIY sidewalk chalk paint experiments, and my tutorial for how to make a glitter sensory bottle!
Share my tips about how to dye eggs with food coloring on Pinterest!
