3M: Rubber Bands & Oil Easter Eggs

3M: Rubber Bands & Oil Easter Eggs

As a fully paid member of

‘it’s never too late to try’ club.

I have finally dyed my own Easter eggs.

Using Martha Stewarts Egg Dyeing 101 app ($1.99)

 with it’s 20 tutorials (8 have video tutorials).

I found two egg dyeing methods to try.

 The Rubber Band and the Marble Effect.

Yes, they are easiest ones.

 p.s

this app is fantastic!

To start my egg dyeing experience,

I decided to make a ‘pin drying board’

just like Martha’s.

Martha’s crew suggest making one out of firm foam and thin nails.

I could only find an old Ikea shelf,

and some brute strength nails in the garage, so I made do.

It’s very rustic, but it has a certain charm.

 The charm being the slight pooling of dye on the egg caused

by it resting on big nails.

 Hmmm.

Did you know that

there isn’t a single white egg available

in my local supermarket?

I didn’t either until I checked every single box on the shelves

(much to the bemusement of the staff).

Where are they all?

Is it just a Sydney thing?

I may not have cared before,

but I care now & would very much like one

so I can dye it.

 My kingdom anyone?

the  

Rubber Band & the Marble Effect

eggs all you need is;

eggs

rubber bands,

food colours

and some oil (I used olive oil)

PLUS white vinegar,

jars and warm water.

I found a cute little dye kit at my supermarket,

but the normal food dye bottles probably make

more sense money wise.

To prep your eggs for their dye baths,

 wipe them with white vinegar

and let them dry before dyeing.

Make up your dye baths with approximately 1-1.5 cups of warm water,

and 2 tbs white vinegar in a jar (or bowl).

Add a few drops of your food colour and stir.

Dunk and roll your eggs so the dye covers the whole egg.

When you have the right shade of colour,

scoop out your egg & pop onto your pin drying board.

Leave to dry.

If you plan

on using the same dye baths for your  

Marble Effect eggs, I recommend that you dye

your Rubber Band eggs first.

Then add a teaspoon of olive oil to your dye baths.

 To create the ‘Marble Effect’ gently stir the olive oil

& quickly roll your egg across the

surface of your dye bath.

Scoop out and dry with kitchen towel.

Before I sign off,  let me just say  that

egg dyeing is not a clean
process,

 and that there is a good chance your eggs wont turn out

looking anything like Martha’s.

To get them
looking that sublime

I think takes practice and luck.

When I was hammering my nails & preparing my dye baths,

I was imagining how my eggs

would turn out.

Dainty + pastel coloured = delightful

What I actually got was something closer to a  

Retro Solar System

(the hanging mobile kind).

I suspect the colour of the egg shells, the dyeing time

PLUS

my total lack of experience with all thing eggs,

may be the reason for the disparity between

my girlish dreams & the outcome.

(I still can’t believe that there aren’t any white eggs in my supermarket).

That’s not to say

I don’t love my Saturn ringed eggs, 

because I do!

They are just a surprise.

Just like my dinosaur eggs.

I guess that’s the marbled effect for you.

How do you like your eggs?