I’m not sure if you saw this video circulating Facebook a couple of weeks ago, but when I did I knew I had to try it. I don’t normally take the leap from ‘like’ to ‘do’ when I see these videos (the majority of which are cooking videos that in 30 seconds and with just a few ingredients, result in an ooey-gooey, calorie-laden, fully-baked dessert) but this video was different. I actually had all the materials close at hand and it looked simple enough to do with my girls. (*Links to videos below)
About a month ago I did a closet clean-out and came across some really old ties. Honestly, I can’t believe my husband has hung onto these for over 25 years! I do understand some things have sentimental value, but these ties?? They were just ugly and hadn’t seen the light of day for decades! So, why not recycle them and create something beautiful? No old ties in your closet? No problem! Really any piece of 100% silk fabric will work, so an old scarf would work too. Also, I’m sure you could find some really inexpensive ties or scarves at a thrift store. Just be sure to read the labels because only silk fabric will work.
You’ll need white eggs, squares of 100% silk fabric, string or twine or twisty-ties, white cotton fabric from old t-shirts or muslin, vinegar, water, and a stainless steel or enamel coated pot.
If using ties, be sure to cut them open and remove the lining. Cut them big enough to wrap an egg. The cotton squares should be the same size. Gently wrap each egg in silk, with the nice side of the fabric touching the egg. Collect the fabric at the top and use string to keep the egg snug inside. In the video I watched they suggested that you wrap string all around the egg at this point. The idea being that the closer the contact the fabric has to the shell, the better the image will transfer. Neither I nor my kids had the patience for this step so we skipped it! I supposed if you had some old nylons you could wrap the eggs in that to get the same effect – but you would have to be sure to keep the nylon very snug.
Next, we wrap the egg with the square of cotton and tie it all together at the top again. I believe this step is to help prevent the dye from leaking out and mixing with the other eggs.
Now you are ready to boil the eggs. Place them all into your pot and cover with water allowing for about 2″ of water over the top of the eggs. Add about 1/4 cup of vinegar and bring to a boil. Once your water is boiling reduce to a simmer and let it go for about 40 minutes. Most of my research online about this technique suggests that it’s not recommended to eat these eggs since we don’t know what chemicals from the dye is leaching into the egg. Also, an egg boiled for 40 minutes isn’t going to be very tasty either!
Remove the eggs from the water and let them cool down. When they are ready to handle, sit down with your little ones and unwrap these gems! Each one will be a fun surprise for them! Put a few drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel, rub each egg to bring out a nice shine and put them on display!
One last interesting note: while researching this technique I found out that if you leave these eggs out on display the insides will eventually ‘mummify’ or pulverize. This means you could, in theory, display these year after year. Either this will happen or they will rot – I guess I’ll find out in a couple of weeks!
Happy Easter!
* Links:
- https://www.facebook.com/129102883774119/videos/1167355543282176/
- http://www.marthastewart.com/266918/silk-dyed-easter-eggs
Michele Lepe 