All right, I’ll admit it. I was wasting time on Facebook when I spotted something on my sister-in-law’s page that made me stop for a second look. These silk-dyed Easter eggs were like no dyed eggs I’d ever seen before. My sister-in-law, Deborah Young, is an amazing professional photographer who captures images like few can. Underlying her professional camera expertise, she has the eye of a true artist. That means that she constantly finds ways to bring beauty into her world. These gorgeous eggs do just that.
Here are Deb’s eggs. Works of art, yes?
When I asked, Deb sketched out how to dye the eggs and I was off and running…to the thrift stores to find silk scarves and ties! Sure enough, most of them were only a $1.00 apiece.
Silk-dyed Easter Eggs
You will need:
- uncooked eggs
- silk ties or scarves, cut up into pieces big enough to wrap around an egg (and yes, it MUST be silk. No other fabric works for this.)
- white cloth to wrap around each egg
- 2 T. vinegar
- rubber bands or twist-ties
After you’ve acquired your silk ties and scarves, cut them into pieces that you’ll wrap around each egg. 7 inch squares work best, but I had several long, narrow pieces from ties that I just wound around until the entire egg was covered. There is really no way to predict which ties or scarves will transfer best, so it’s truly a surprise when you unwrap each finished egg.
Secure the silk around your egg either with rubber bands or twist-ties. (I read about someone using dental floss to tie up the eggs too.) Then wrap a piece of white fabric around the silk-wrapped egg. I cut up an old Tshirt as well as a few old, white towels. In one of the articles I read, someone suggested cutting up at old stained white tablecloth for this. This is an important step to keep the dyes from running all over the place. It’s also helpful to put like colors with like colors.
Fill your non-reactive pot (meaning, NOT aluminum) with water and 2 T. white vinegar. Place the wrapped eggs in the pan and bring the water to a boil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and use tongs to put the eggs into a bowl of cold water. Replace the water a few times until it stays cools.
Remove the fabric from the eggs and let them dry. As I mentioned earlier, every egg will be a surprise. There doesn’t seem to be a good way to predict which fabrics will transfer most vibrantly.
After the eggs have dried, if you want them to be just a little shiny and more colorful, you can rub them with a cloth that has a little cooking oil worked into it.
Now, for the real question: can we safely eat these eggs? I really don’t know. I did a lot of googling for that answer and didn’t come up with a satisfactory one. Some sites gave a resounding NO! There’s no telling what types of dyes are used on the silk fabric and it’s a good bet that they aren’t even remotely food-grade. On the other hand, Martha Stewart, who has a lot to lose in terms of liability, talked about eating these Easter eggs after decorating them. So the final answer is: I’m not sure. You’ll need to do what you feel comfortable with.
These will be, for sure, the prettiest eggs you’ve ever made!
Barb
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Ingredients
- uncooked eggs
- silk ties or scarves, cut up into pieces big enough to wrap around an egg (and yes, it MUST be silk. No other fabric works for this.)
- white cloth to wrap around each egg
- 2 T. vinegar
- rubber bands or twist-ties
Instructions
After you've acquired your silk ties and scarves, cut them into pieces that you'll wrap around each egg. 7 inch squares work best, but I had several long, narrow pieces from ties that I just wound around until the entire egg was covered. There is really no way to predict which ties or scarves will transfer best, so it's truly a surprise when you unwrap each finished egg.
Secure the silk around your egg either with rubber bands or twist-ties. (I read about someone using dental floss to tie up the eggs too.) Then wrap a piece of white fabric around the silk-wrapped egg. I cut up an old Tshirt as well as a few old, white towels. In one of the articles I read, someone suggested cutting up at old stained white tablecloth for this. This is an important step to keep the dyes from running all over the place. It's also helpful to put like colors with like colors.
Fill your non-reactive pot (meaning, NOT aluminum) with water and 2 T. white vinegar. Place the wrapped eggs in the pan and bring the water to a boil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and use tongs to put the eggs into a bowl of cold water. Replace the water a few times until it stays cools.
Remove the fabric from the eggs and let them dry. As I mentioned earlier, every egg will be a surprise. There doesn't seem to be a good way to predict which fabrics will transfer most vibrantly.
After the eggs have dried, if you want them to be just a little shiny and more colorful, you can rub them with a cloth that has a little cooking oil worked into it.
I love this. What a wonderful idea!
I would not eat them.