Tuestorial: Silk Dye Eggs

If you are looking for a fun and different way to decorate your Easter eggs this year, I have your answer! Dying eggs with silk creates detailed and fun designs that you will be proud to display. Bonus: less mess and clean up than traditional methods!

Ready to rock n' roll

Materials Needed:

• Silk from old men’s ties (can always be found at thrift stores for a dollar or less!), scarves or FabMo/S.C.R.A.P. finds
• Plain white/off-white scrap fabric
• Eggs
• 1 cup vinegar
• Large pot
• Scissors
• Twist ties (rubber bands are a no-no since they don’t like boiling water)

Step 1:

Make sure your eggs are room temperature. If you are using a men’s tie, cut off all lining so you are just using the silk. Dark colors and bold patterns work best for this method. Grab several different designs to play with!

Only the best for this egg

Step 2:

Roll the “good side” of the silk you selected around an egg (any folds or lines around the egg will show). Make sure it’s as secure around the egg as possible. Cut off any access fabric around the egg and tie as tight as possible with a twist tie.

Ready for it's steam bath

Step 3:

Take your plain white fabric and repeat step 2 around the silk. This helps keep the silk fabric as close to the egg as possible and from any colors bleeding into the water onto other eggs. Essentially, it prevents egg dying disasters.

You still get the vinegar smell!

Bathing Beauties 

Step 4:

Fill your pot with water and add 1 cup of vinegar. Gently place your wrapped eggs in the water, making sure they are completely submerged. Turn your burner on to high and keep covered for 20 minutes. You want the eggs in boiling water for the majority of that time.

Egg Dumplings!

Test run showing the design and some folds

Step 5:

Once the 20 minutes are up, remove the eggs with tongs and place on a towel. Let them cool for 20-30 minutes before handling. Once cool, gently unwrap the twist ties to reveal your masterpiece. Some dyes can rub off easily so be careful not to handle your eggs too much before they completely dry. Unfortunately, the only down side to this method is you can’t eat the eggs. But who would want to after seeing how pretty they turn out to be?

Happy Easter!

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