Before decorating your Easter eggs this year, head out to the garden and hunt for leaves to imprint on them. The spring garden may just be emerging, but there are surely plenty of unusual shapes of leaves that you can use to adorn your Easter eggs. With just a few supplies, such as nylons and a bit of food colouring, leaf imprint Easter eggs are a fun way to celebrate the season. This project can be done with natural vegetable dyes, such as red cabbage and beets, as well.
Materials
- White organic eggs
- Nail
- Four glass bowls
- Leaves
- Nylon stocking
- Baker’s twine
- Liquid food coloring (red, yellow, green, and blue used here)
- White vinegar
- Spoon
- Paper egg carton
Make It!
To make leaf imprint Easter eggs, start by blowing the yolk and whites out of the eggs. Use a nail to gently tap a hole in the round end of the egg. Move the nail around in the hole a bit to make it larger. Tap a second hole in the pointy end of the egg; this one can be a bit smaller. Use the nail to stir up the inside of the egg and break the yolk. Blow on the pointy end of the egg so that the egg’s insides come out into one of the bowls. Rinse the inside of the eggshell with water and pat the shell dry.
Place the eggs into sections of a nylon stocking that are tied on one end with baker’s twine. Press a leaf, top side facing the eggshell, inside the nylon and pull the other end tightly to hold it in place. Tie the other end of the nylon firmly with baker’s twine.
Prepare the dye in the other three glass bowls by mixing a half cup of water, two tablespoons of vinegar, and some drops of liquid food coloring. Start with 10 drops and add more for a darker color. I used almost a whole bottle of yellow dye, added a few drops of red, and about 20 drops of green to get the shades I like. All dyes will have different concentrations, so use your judgment when mixing the colors.
Dip the egg into the dye and use a spoon to baste it. Basting it with the dye will allow the color to be more even around the egg. The dye should be transferred in just five minutes or so, but you can remove the eggs and test the color when you think they are ready. Add them back into the dye if you want a deeper color.
Remove the nylon by cutting away the baker’s twine. Remove the leaves and allow the eggs to dry completely by setting them into a cardboard egg carton.
Display your leaf imprint Easter eggs and enjoy!
More Spring Crafts!
- Easter Egg Bath Bombs Made With Natural Colours
- Whimsical Foraged Fairy Houses You Would Think Were Actually Made By Fairies
- You’ll Love Making These Simple & Pretty Clay Plant Stakes
- Create a Wild & Free Garden Journal
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
I would use the garden to start my grandson’s pumpkin seeds for the largest pumpkin contest. I feel the seeds would benefit from even light. My son is carrying on our gardening tradition. Also I could start my heirloom tomato seeds. I now live close to a coal and bottle dump so we do container gardening for safety.
Such a beautiful idea! I’ve used cut pieces of paper to decorate eggs, but didn’t think of using leaves or other natural items. Thank you for the inspiration, and happy easter!
Oh my, this is amazing, you have given me so many ideas in this one post. I love it!
great idea for my grandchildren
I like this idea but there’s snow on the ground here. I might have to try it with silk leaves.