With Easter coming up, I thought it would be fun to show a twist on Easter eggs that could be used even after the holiday is over. So, today, we have a guest post by Courtney of Merriment with her super cute neon dip-dyed eggs. — Joy

Inspired by dip-dyed textiles, baskets, and other objects we’ve seen dipped and dyed lately, I decided to apply the technique to Easter eggs! With this modern take on Easter egg coloring, dip-dying Easter eggs has to be one of the easiest ways to decorate eggs—especially because much of the beauty is in leaving part of the shell exposed. These eggs would make a lovely centerpiece on a very simple Easter table, set with a white tablecloth, and with a range of colorful napkins in complementary colors. And, while I used hard boiled eggs here, you could also blow out the eggs so they could be displayed hanging, on a wreath or stored for use again next year…  

You’ll need…

Hardboiled eggs

Paper bags

Three pieces of cardboard (or a piece of foam core)

T-pins

Neon food coloring

Hot water

Vinegar

Tongs

Rubber gloves

A PAAS “color cups” dying kit {you’ll use the cups provided and the egg dipper}

Here's how…

01 / Boil the eggs, remove from water, and let eggs dry and cool.

02 / Cover your work surface. I used brown paper bags taped to the counter to make sure they wouldn't move as I worked.

03 / Create a “drying rack” for your eggs. I used three pieces of cardboard, stacked one on top of the other. Place T-pins one inch apart in a square shape. I made eight squares with T-pins. You could also use a cake rack to dry eggs.

04 / Mix one-teaspoon vinegar, 25 drops of food color, and 1/2 cup hot water in a “color cup” and stir.

05 / Once eggs have cooled completely and their shells are completely dry, begin dying eggs.

A couple notes…

The longer the egg rests in the dye bath, the deeper the color will be. Usually, 10-15 minutes will create a deep, vibrant color. You can rest the egg in the bath by bending the egg dipper over the lip of your “color cup” to the desired depth.

Both the “color cup” and the dipper are provided in the kit, but you could fashion a dipper from heavy gauge wire and use bowls you have on hand for the dye.

To create gradients of color, dip egg once quickly for the lightest color. Then, submerge the egg again, not quite as deep as the first dip, and let egg rest in the dye for 3 to 5 minutes. Raise the egg once more to create a third band of color, and let egg rest in dye for another 5 minutes or longer for a deeper color.

To create a two-toned egg, dip egg in one color then move egg to drying rack for 15 minutes. Finally, dip other end in second color. 

Have fun!
—Courtney

{concept & styling by Merriment for Oh Joy, photography by Katie Stoops}