I saw a neat idea for decorating Easter eggs recently and was able to experiment with the technique last weekend. The idea was for dying the eggs with printed silk. Who knew you could even do such a thing? Here are my two "Egg-speriments":
You can use any printed silk fabric, but the sources I found suggested using old silk neckties. Here's how you do it:
Deconstruct an old necktie (it must be silk):
Cut a piece large enough to cover the egg. Wrap around the egg with the outside of the silk facing the egg and secure with string or a twistie.
Cut a piece of white fabric large enough to cover the egg and wrap this around the silk-wrapped egg and secure with string or a twistie.
Place the eggs you have prepared as described above in a large saucepan of water and then add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil for 20-25 mins. Remove the eggs from the saucepan (I used a slotted spoon) and place in a colander to cool.
When the eggs are cool enough to handle unwrap them, shine them with a paper towel dipped in a bit of vegetable oil and then step back and admire your finished work!
The sources I found suggested that you use these eggs for decoration rather than eating since the dyes used for the silk are not necessarily food safe. Some said you could reuse the silk several times if desired, but I haven't tried reusing it. You can also stitch together small pieces to make them usable.
I'm hoping to make some more eggs closer to Easter to use along with another experiment I began last weekend. I soaked some wheat kernals overnight and then planted them in hopes of growing some wheat grass in time for Easter. The kernals have grown tremendously fast. Here is a picture of the wheat grass after just five days:
One of our cats, Adelaide enjoys eating greens, so I planted her some wheat grass too:
Do you do any creative egg dyeing at your house?
Becka
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on Mar 27th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
These eggs are gorgeous, Becka! I think even I could do that.
Are you planning then to use the wheat grass and eggs as a center piece? I think our Easter this year is going to be a bit understated. With my mom gone this year and Emma off on her New York mission trip, it will likely be just Jess, my dad, and I. Emma and I usually dye eggs, but with everything going on this year, and since she’ll be gone for Easter itself, we’re foregoing it. Maybe we’ll try your silk trick next year! 
on Mar 29th, 2010 at 11:44 am
I like to decorate blown eggs. I wonder if you could do this with them? or, will the boiling process damage the blown eggs. Hmm, could always try it!
on Mar 30th, 2010 at 8:00 am
I wonder if it would work on an egg you’ve already blown out. I hate to waste perfectly good eggs on a decoration, but if I could blow the egg out first and use it in something, the shell wouldn’t be a waste. Plus it could be used year after year if it doesn’t get broken in storage. You would probably have to make sure the egg was filled up with liquid before boiling so it wouldn’t float.
on Apr 1st, 2010 at 11:18 pm
That is a really neat idea! and yours turned out so pretty!