Dyeing Easter eggs with onion skins was a cherished family tradition. My Ukrainian grandmother would prepare all-natural dyes every year using ingredients like onion skins, which produced beautiful golden to deep brown hues. You can use either red or yellow onion skins—or even a blend of both—for a rich, earthy color.
This method offers a more natural alternative to store-bought dyes and can be used with other foods as well. I like to create a variety of dye colors using ingredients like turmeric, red cabbage, and beets, following the same basic process. While these naturally dyed eggs tend to have softer, more subtle shades, letting them cool and soak in the dye mixture in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours will deepen the color.
One of my favorite techniques is to decorate the eggs with delicate patterns using herbs and flowers. To do this, I press the leaf or flower face-down on the egg, then stretch a 5-inch piece of pantyhose over it, pulling it snugly around the egg and tying it tightly at the back. After trimming the excess, I submerge the egg in the dye for the desired amount of time. The result is a beautiful, nature-inspired design that’s as meaningful as it is unique.
18 white Eggs (raw)
Ingredients:
Your favorite food-safe flowers and herbs (we use daisies, rudbeckia, dill, parsley, mint, cilantro, and basil)
2 Tbsp. White vinegar
The onion skins of at least 8-10 large onions
Instructions:
- Peel all of the dry onion skins from your onions
- Add to a medium-sized saucepan
- Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 45 minutes
- During this time, place your leaves on each egg in a decorative manner, placing the 5-inch piece of pantyhose over the leaf and tying it tightly on the backside of the egg
- Cut off any excess pantyhose that are hanging after tying with scissors
- After 45 minutes of boiling, look for a rich color in the boiling pot. If the color is rich and dark, use a strainer to strain out the onion skins
- Return the dyed water to the boiling pot, bring back to a boil, and add 2 Tbsp. Vinegar to the dyed water
- Add the eggs to the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes of boiling, remove from the heat and allow to sit for another 20 minutes
- At this time, you can remove the eggs from the water, cut the pantyhose, wipe the leaves from the egg, and allow to air dry
- If using the turmeric, red cabbage, or beets, allow the eggs to sit in the color until completely cool, another 4-6 hours, then remove from the dye, snipping the pantyhose, removing the leaves, and allowing to air dry
** Colors will be more of a pastel color and are not bright and vibrant,t but they are all-natural and safe nonetheless