How to Dye Eggs with Indigo for Easter

Last year I experimented with shibori-dyeing techniques and fell in love with the gorgeous blues created with indigo dye. I've been waiting for months to make a batch of colorful Easter eggs! The rich colors turned out even better than I had hoped. Here's how to dye your own indigo eggs.

Supplies

• White eggs (I used hard boiled eggs but you can also blow out the yolks to enjoy them longer)
  
• Indigo dye kit
• Rubber bands
• Tape
• Rubber gloves

1. Prepare Dye

Prepare the dye in a large bucket according to the package instructions. It needs at least 15 minutes to set up so you can do this before readying the eggs.

2. Dye Eggs

Use tape, rubber bands, stickers or even wax to create shapes and patterns on the eggs. These will resist the dye. Tape will create more distinct lines while rubber bands tend to move around and make beautifully blurred marks.

3. Dye Eggs

Step 1

I highly recommend wearing high-quality large kitchen gloves - not the ones that come in the indigo dye package - for dipping the eggs. A lesson I learned after sporting a blue Smurf-like hand for several days!

Dipping the eggs by hand works much better than trying to use a spoon or other dish. You have much greater control and will do a lot less fishing for eggs at the bottom of the bucket!

Dunk the egg and leave it in for just a few seconds - that's all the time it needs!

Step 2

You might notice that your egg initially looks green after removing it from the dye bath. That's because the indigo dye is activated by oxygen. Set the egg in a container (an egg carton works well) for several minutes to allow the color to develop and set.

Step 3

Dip the egg again, if desired, to create a darker shade of blue. You can dye different parts of the egg to create an ombre effect by submerging only the area that you want to turn darker.

Step 4

When you're done dyeing and the eggs have dried carefully, peel away the tape or stickers and remove the rubber bands.

Have Fun Decorating with Eggs

In this tutorial, we’ve shown you how to create gorgeously dyed eggs with indigo. The rich natural dye creates fun ombre effects, as well as an endless variety of shapes and patterns by using tape, stickers or rubber bands. Just be careful not to end up dyeing yourself in the process!

The eggs look great grouped together in a white dish where their rich blue really pops.

Have you ever tried dyeing with indigo? Let us know what you've made in the comments section below—we’d love to hear from you.