Botanical Imprints – A Natural Dye Easter Egg Tutorial
Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get... Warmer. -Anita Krizzan
Materials:
Hard-boiled (or blown out) eggs
Cheese-cloth
String (6-7” lengths) or rubber bands
Mugs for dye and spoons to retrieve the eggs
Red cabbage (robin-egg blue eggs), Blueberries (gray & blue eggs), & Grapes (lavender & dark blue eggs)
Herbs, Leaves, or Flowers for imprinting
Drying wrack or cutting board
Instructions:
1. Prepare the dyes of your choice:
Cut up the cabbage into chunks. Rinse the blueberries and pick the grapes from the grape stem. Add the dye matter, (red cabbage, blueberries, grapes, etc) each type individually, to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for approximately 15 to 30 minutes. Then, use a slotted spoon to strain out extra pieces of the dye matter so you liquid is all that remains. Let it cool to room temperature and pour into mugs or small bowls. (Optional: Add 1 tbs of vinegar per cup of strained liquid. Occasionally, this will result in more vibrant-colored eggs)
2. Cut your cheese-cloth (or nylons) into 6”x6” squares. Set aside.
3. Select your botanical, herb, leafy, or floral imprint clippings. I used Cilantro, Rosemary, Fern-leaf, Thyme, & Italian Ruscus. Clip small egg-sized springs to use as an imprint. Set aside.
4. One at a time, select one sprig and carefully hold it firmly against the egg. Tightly begin wrapping one of your cheese-cloth squares over it, twisting all the ends together to hug the egg firmly. (You can also use a pair of nylons). Secure the cheese-cloth tightly with a piece of string or a rubber band.
