Martha Stewart was invited on TODAY to demonstrate a variety of techniques for dyeing Easter eggs. Below are instructions:Silk-Tie Easter Eggs
Tools and Materials
- Small-to-medium-size raw eggs
- Glass or enamel pot
- Silk ties, blouses, or boxers, cut into pieces large enough to cover an egg
- White sheets (or pillowcases or old tablecloths), cut into pieces to cover silk-wrapped eggs
- Twist ties
- 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- Warm water
- Vegetable oil
- Paper towels
- Tongs or spoon
Technique
- Cut silk into a square (or a piece) large enough to wrap around a raw egg.
- Wrap a raw egg with a piece of silk, making sure the printed side of the material is facing the egg. Silk can still be used if it doesn't fit perfectly around egg.
- Place the silk-wrapped egg in a piece of white sheet, pillowcase, or old tablecloth and secure tightly with a twist tie.
- Place the egg(s) in an enamel or glass pot. Fill pot with water to cover eggs completely. Then, add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar.
- Bring water to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 20 minutes (longer if you plan on eating the eggs).
- Remove eggs from water with tongs or spoon and let cool.
- Remove silk from cooled egg.
- For shiny eggs, wipe with vegetable oil after completing step 7.
Resources
Silk goods such as ties, blouses, and boxers can be purchased at rummage sales or thrift stores. Silk can be reused on eggs.
Dripped-on eggs
Rubber cement is often used to create eye-catching crafts, but the supple adherent is rarely thought of as an ornamental element in itself. Today, style editor Tom Tamborello proves how versatile the glue can be by using it as the decorative foundation for a batch of beautifully embellished Easter eggs. Keep in mind that rubber cement contains dangerous solvents, should only be used in well-ventilated areas, and should always be kept out of children’s reach.
Basic egg techniques
Blowing out eggs
Gently pierce both ends of a raw egg with a utility knife, and twirl knife to widen one hole slightly. Straighten a paper clip, and poke it through the larger hole to pierce and stir the yolk. Hold the egg, larger hole down, over a bowl, and blow the contents out with a rubber ear syringe (available at drugstores).
Dyeing eggs
Stick flathead pins into a piece of foam board to create a drying rack that won't rub dye off the eggs. Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar and about 5 drops of food coloring in 1 cup of hot water (combine colors as desired; for our green basket, we mixed a few drops of yellow with green dye for chartreuse, and added blue for turquoise). Use a heatproof jar or cup deep enough for an egg to be submerged. Using tongs to prevent floating, keep eggs in dye for 1 minute for lighter colors or up to 5 minutes for a darker color; adjust tongs periodically so they don't make a mark. Carefully set eggs atop the pins on the drying rack to dry.
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