{easter} Colorful Silk-Dyed Eggs

Last Easter I made these pretty marbled pink eggs, but this year I was inspired to try silk-dyed Easter eggs. They turned out more gorgeous than I expected!

They are actually surprisingly easy to make, and pretty hard to screw up.

To make them, you wrap eggs in patterned silk (thrift store rejects) and then in plain fabric (I cut up an old t-shirt) then tie them tightly with string. It’s important to get as tight a wrap as possible for good results. They look funny and cute all wrapped up and ready to go!

Here are the ties I used. Some of the colors that came out were surprising. For example, the dark green and tan tie made eggs that had all different shades of light blue, green, and yellow. Overall the vibrant colored ties came out more dramatic, but I like the softer colors as well. Some of the eggs came out with fine-grain patterns that weren’t discernible on the ties, which was neat.

A couple of notes: you must use 100% silk fabric. I used silk neckties I bought from our local thrift store and was able to dye 2 eggs with each necktie. The only downside to the thrift store ties: when you pour out the water at the end, your whole kitchen smells like thrift store for a minute or two. You could also use a tie that had an irreparable stain, or an old silk shirt. I was tempted to buy one of those sandwashed silk shirts that were so popular in the 90s, since there were quite a few to choose from, but I wasn’t sure if washed silk would work, so I stuck with the ties. I was really happy with how they turned out!

How to Make Colorful Silk-Dyed Easter Eggs

• Cut pieces of silk large enough to wrap around an egg.
• Wrap the egg with the silk, printed side touching the egg. Tie tightly with a piece of string.
• Add a piece of white cotton scrap material around the egg. Tie tightly with a piece of string.
• Put eggs in a non-metal pot (glass or enamel, like Le Creuset.) Cover the eggs completely with water and add 3 tablespoons vinegar.
• Bring water to a boil, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
• Remove eggs from hot water and let cool. Once cool, carefully remove the fabric from the egg and set out to dry on a rack.

A note: because they have to cook so long to let the silk dye come out, they don’t make the best eating eggs… but my uncle Paul usually doesn’t mind them overcooked. Happy Easter!