How To Dye Easter Eggs And Get Vibrant Colors

Here’s an easy tutorial on How To Dye Easter Eggs and Get Vibrant Colors with something you already have in your pantry for your Easter Baskets this year!

Every year when we dye Easter Eggs, I get frustrated with the lack of vibrant colors.  This year I wanted to try something different in hopes of getting better results than I have in the past with those little fizzy tablets I’ve used since a kid. I  wanted bright colors!

How to Dye Easter Eggs and Get Vibrant Colors

Items needed to Dye Easter Eggs

• Eggs
• Food Coloring Gels
• Vinegar
• Water

Wilton has some amazing food coloring gels that work great for coloring frostings and cake batter, so why wouldn’t it be good to colors eggs?!  So, when I went grocery shopping this week at Meijer, I saw the perfect little tubes of gel with vibrant colors I just had to try!

For about $3 , I picked up 4 colors – magenta, teal, orange, and purple.  Perfect!

I didn’t find them in the food section, but in the kitchen section near the baking pans and Wilton products.  Look for them there!  There are even directions on the back of the box for you to follow.

Here’s a tutorial on How To Dye Easter Eggs and Get Vibrant Colors in your Easter Baskets this year!

Step 1 for Dying Easter Eggs: Hard Boil Your Eggs

First, lay your eggs gently in a pot that is large enough where the eggs don’t touch that much.  Cover with cold water until the water is about 1 inch above the eggs.

Add a dash of vinegar to the water to keep the insides of your eggs nice and white.  Bring to a rapid boil on the stove and immediately remove from the heat and place a lid on the pot.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and wait.  At the end of the ten minutes, carefully drain the hot water out of the pot and cover with cold water.

Chill until the eggs are no longer warm.  I like to run the water for a few minutes to make sure it’s nice and cold.

 Step 2 For Dying Easter Eggs: Prepare the Dye

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil on the stove for 4 colors.  To the four bowls, add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to and fill with 3/4 cup of water.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the food dye  – depending on how strong you’d like the color – and stir.

Mix carefully or you’ll end up with dye on your countertops that will take a little scrubbing to get off.

Step 3 for Dying Easter Eggs: Dye the Eggs

Carefully place your eggs in the dye bath with a spoon or tongs.  Leave the egg in the dye until the desired color is reached.

These colors are very concentrated, so it really doesn’t take long at all!  Remove the eggs to a wire rack with newspaper or paper towels underneath to catch the drips.

Let the eggs dry completely before touching.

That’s it!  Perfectly, bright and vibrant colored Easter Eggs!

Keep in the fridge until Easter and then hide and eat!

Have you ever wondered:

Why do we have Easter eggs?

For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially beloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Moreover, historically Christians would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent, and Easter was the first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence.

Where did the idea of Easter eggs come from?

Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.

Why do you roll an Easter egg?

In England, Germany, and other countries, children traditionally rolled eggs down hillsides at Ēostre festivities. After mergers of celebrations, this may have become symbolic of the rolling away of the rock from Jesus Christ’s tomb before his resurrection.

In the United States, the Easter Egg Roll is an annual event, held on the White House South Lawn each Easter Monday for children and their parents. It is always hosted by the president of the United States and the first Lady.

The Egg Roll is a race, where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon.  There is also appearances by White House personalities in Easter Bunny costumes, speeches and book-reading by cabinet secretaries, and exhibits of artistically-decorated eggs.

According to tradition, Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, began the event in 1814 and hundreds of children brought their decorated eggs to join in games. The original site was on the grounds of the United States Capitol, but in 1877 a new lawn was planted there and the gardeners canceled the event. Congress then passed a law making it illegal to use the capitol grounds as a children’s playground.

Check out more fun Easter Activities to do with your family HERE!

Try these favorites next!

• Creating an Easter Garden 
• Top 5 Favorite Easter Desserts 
• Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake