Egg Dyeing 101

If you want to save your eggs from year to year or turn them into ornaments to hang from branches, blow them out instead of hard-boiling the eggs before dyeing them.

To empty a raw egg, begin by using the tip of a sharp utility knife to pierce both ends of the egg; turn the knife in one of the holes to widen it slightly. Then, poke a straightened paper clip through the larger hole to pierce and "stir" the yolk. Hold the egg, larger hole down, over a bowl, and then blow the contents out with a rubber ear syringe.

Watch the How to Blow Out an Egg Video

Protect your work area with paper towels or newspaper. Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 20 drops of food coloring (use more to intensify color) in 1 cup of hot water in a heatproof bowl, cup, or jar deep enough to let you submerge an egg completely. To create different tints, vary the dipping time. Using tongs makes handling the eggs easy. 

Hand-dyed eggs make great gifts, but delivering them can be tricky. Save time and effort by upcycling clear plastic egg cartons, which you can quickly turn into attractive carriers. We dressed ours up in scalloped organdy or sheets of tissue paper, and satin and grosgrain ribbon, and affixed card-stock tags with stamped greetings.