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Easter

Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips

Earlier this week, Chatelaine's associate home editor, Julia Black, was on CityLine showing viewers how to make colourful Easter eggs. Here are her step-by-step instructions on how to make these fun and festive crafts.

Easter eggs Masterfile

Earlier this week, Chatelaine's associate home editor, Julia Black, was on CityLine showing viewers how to make colourful Easter eggs. Here are her step-by-step instructions on how to make these fun and festive crafts. 1. Easy egg-colouring: The easiest way to dye eggs is with liquid food colouring. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 to 3 drops of food coloring, or more for a deeper color. Dye the eggs until they reach the shade you desire. Remove the eggs from the dye, and rest to dry (ideally on a cooking rack), or put pins in white cardboard and rest atop. Natural dyes: Foods such as beets, blueberries, red cabbage, turmeric and tea make great colour dyes. Boil a pot of water and add one of these natural dye ingredients: Turmeric dye: 3 tablespoons turmeric. Pale Yellow: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Onion-skin dye: 4 cups onion skins (skins of about 12 onions). Orange: Soak eggs in room-temperature onion-skin solution, 30 minutes. Beet dye: 4 cups chopped beets. Light Pink: Soak eggs in room-temperature beet solution, 30 minutes. Red-cabbage dye: 4 cups chopped cabbage. Chartreuse: Soak eggs in room-temperature turmeric solution, 30 minutes. Follow with room-temperature cabbage solution, 5 seconds. 2. Ombre dips: Set up an area with clear plastic cups. Add food dye to each one. To get half one colour ombre, half another, do not submerge egg in coloured water entirely, ever. Hold half way into colour, do one half at a time.

Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  

3. Elastic dye: Wrap egg midline with rubber, elastic bands (2 to 3 bands per egg). Submerge in color for a minimum of 5 minutes (maximum is up to you).

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Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  

4. Stockings pattern: Take an old pair of fishnet stockings, lace stockings or a hair net. Wrap egg in the cloth, tightly. Use an elastic band to tie the top. Submerge in dye. Let dry for 20 minutes and then remove the stocking.

Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  

5. Gold leaf and metallic pen: Use a gold leaf kit from craft store that include a spray adhesive for first coat, and a final sealer. Spray cooled egg with spray adhesive, layer gold leaf and finish with top coat sealer. For metallic pen look, all you need is a permanent metallic pen from a craft store and draw-on.

Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  

6. Paper-mâché: Fill a plastic container with 1/2 cup white craft glue, and 1/4 cup warm water. Stir well. Tear newsprint in small, quarter-size pieces and soak in glue bath. Cover egg and let dry. You can try it with tissue paper as well, and use Mod Podge product in a sparkle finish to glam it up. 7. Egg people: Take a sharpie pen and draw a face onto the centre of the egg. Add rosy cheeks, whiskers, etc. Take your favorite paper and stencil a crown-shape at least 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut out and wrap around the top of the egg and glue together. Trim access paper. Crown your egg. 8. Candles: Create a double boiler system in your kitchen. Finely chop white wax block (blocks are available at Michaels). Melt down to a liquid. Add a pink or desirable colour wax and melt down. Crack the top of your egg and empty out contents, including membrane. Gently pour the wax into your egg. Wait two minutes and add a birthday candle. Allow to dry for at least 45 minutes.

Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  
To watch the full episode of Julia Black's appearance on CityLine click here.
Easter egg decorating ideas and natural food dye tips  

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