With busy toddlers at home, we are always looking for safe, chemical free alternatives to holiday traditions!  That's why we were so excited to find out that we could dye eggs using natural fruit and vegetable dyes.  If your kids are like ours, half of the dye ends up all over them, so we were thrilled to be using something that was completely non-toxic and it was a great way to use up some produce that was nearing the end of its shelf life in the fridge.  Plus, there's something so nostalgic to taking this tradition back to before there were dye kits all over the grocery store.  

To make each individual dye, just bring 1 cup of fruit or veggie and 1 cup of water to a boil.  Let simmer for 10-15 minutes and cool.  Pour the cooled liquid in canning jars and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar.  For coffee, simply brew a strong pot and add the vinegar.   We decided to try beets, blueberries and fresh coffee.  

We did a mix of brown and white eggs and we loved the vintage look of the finished product.  We thought the blueberry gave the best variation and gave color fast which helps when you have little hands wanting to see a finished product.  The beets required a little more time and gave a pretty light pink hue, while the coffee shades ran from light than to a dark golden yellow. 

We're excited to give this a try again.  We've heard tumeric creates a soft, pretty yellow and spinach can be used for green.   Let us know if you find another color creation!