Section 1: Food Coloring Dyed Easter Eggs
This method is easier and cheaper than the store
bought tablets…… The following is the ratios of
food coloring to make different colors:
Lime - 24 yellow, 4 green Purple - 15 blue, 5 red
Easter Egg Coloring is a unique art. The dyes are water
Cantaloupe - 24 yellow, 2 red Jade - 17 green, 3 blue
soluble and require a pH in the acid range, opposite to hair
Plum - 10 red, 4 blue
dyes that are very basic (smell like ammonia). An acid will
Spearmint - 12 green, 6 yellow, 2 blue
actually react with the calcium carbonate in the egg Raspberry - 14 red, 6 blue Teal - 15 green, 5 blue
shell, thus softening the shell so it can absorb the Grape - 17 blue, 3 red Fuchsia - 18 red, 2 blue
coloring. Egg shells can be shielded from the dye with Orange Sunset - 17 yellow, 3 red
an insoluble coating like wax or Crayon. Jungle Green - 14 green, 6 yellow
Eggs can be boiled, which is a process that
denatured the protein. Denaturing changes Pre-lab step: Before you start: The hard-boiled will
the texture of the protein (runny clear liquid to
be dyed as is. The raw ones are to be hollowed out before
hard opaque white solid)
dying. Choose which you want. But you need to know if
The eggs can also be dyed while hollow, in which the
you are working with a hard-boiled egg or a raw egg. Spin
egg must be emptied out with two tiny holes, one on top
the egg on the countertop. If it wobbles, it is a raw egg. If
and one on bottom. Two holes are needed to allow air to
it does not wobble, it is hard-boiled.
go in to replace the egg that is going out.
Why does this work?
Color eggs can be coated to protect the water soluble
dye from running from the egg to something else.
Therefore, the eggs can be simply rubbed with an oil, .
which will not be real durable. More durable coatings Directions:
would be a clear spray. Sprays vary in their drying time. 1. This can be done at anytime: When you are at the
Some dry within minutes, others take hours.
table with the labels: “acid, neutral and base”, check
Eggs can also be decoupage, which is a process that
out the different colorings at different pH.
glues thin colored paper on the egg. This glue is easy to
What are the 3 pHs being tested?
work with, but is not vary durable. It is very water soluble,
thus if the decoupage egg gets wet later, the decoupage
material will gummy-up again.
What conclusion can you make about the
One culture is well known for their very beautiful
coloring process and the pH of the solution?
Easter eggs. This art form was started in the region,
Ukraine. These eggs are dye while they are still raw, so that
the thin shell does not break during the process. At the
end of the process, the raw egg is hollowed out. During
the process the egg shell is coated with lines of wax. Then 2. When you get to a table with a beaker of colored
the egg is dyes with various dyes, starting with the lighter
water, the following conditions should be true:
dye to the darker dye. Eventually the wax will be removed.
a) Solution should be acidity. Check with litmus
At the end the beautiful egg is coated with varnish to
paper. Paper should turn pink if acid. If not acidic,
preserve their beauty.
add more vinegar.
I expect you to look at each table.
b) Container should to about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
I expect you to read all of the section.
Don't fill TOO full or when you put the eggs in it will
I expect you to create one beautiful egg.
overflow
A style is represented in each reading section,
c) Solution should be warm
but not all styles are set-up in class, because of their mess.
Why warm water?
Only these sections will be set-up:
1) Table on the acid/ neutral and base of solutions
2) Tables with colored waters 3. Lower hard boiled eggs in the container with a
3) Area with a few water soluble pens. spatula. in the colored water of your choice. Let it sit in
You can bring more pens the warm solution for about 10 minutes, or until the color
is desired. Now while the egg is still dyeing, go to
4) Table with decoupage.
another section to get it started. If you want more than 1
5) Polish area for coating finished egg.
color on your egg then you will have to go to another table
6) Area to leave eggs drying
when that group is done. (No more than 5 people per area.)
7) Area to leave eggs if you don’t want to take
your 1 egg home.

LATER: 4. Pull out the egg with a spatula. How long Section 3: Marble Eggs We will NOT do this part but it is
nice to know because it made such a mess last year!
did you leave your egg in the dye? Let dry.
Grate peeled crayons over waxed paper. Fill beaker with very
Optional: 5. Add decorations to the egg with water hot water. Drop bits of grated crayon into water. Add hard
boiled or blown egg as soon as crayon begins to melt. Twirl egg
soluble or permanent pens.
in water with spoon. The wax should make a design on the egg.
What is the advantage of the water soluble pens? Carefully remove egg and set upside-down in egg carton to dry.
Coat the egg.
Disadvantages? Section 4: Ukrainian Easter Eggs. We will NOT do
this part but it is nice to know about another culture.
What is the advantage of the permanent pens? Simple, beautiful Ukrainian Easter Eggs are within the reach
of any beginner! These elegant eggs make great gifts for family
and friends. You will need: Smooth, fresh eggs at room
temperature. Writing tools (straight pins stuck into a dowel,
Disadvantages?
cork, or pencil eraser or a toothpick). Wax from a candle pot.
(NEVER heat wax directly over heat source or in microwave.
ALSO use a double boiling set-up!!!! Hot wax can explode into
7. At the polishing table: Choose a coat: Either:
flames.) Egg dyes from section 1.
Coat the egg with a thin layer of oil. Let oil absorb.
Or spray your egg with a clear coat in a “spray booth”. The “real” Ukrainians Eggs are done on raw eggs first, the inside
Give your opinion of this section’s process. is blown out. However, you can blow the raw egg out first.
Step 1: Prepare the eggs by \"blowing\" your eggs before painting.
Use a long pin to make a tiny hole at each end; the hole should
be a bit larger at the bottom. Pierce and break the yolk with the
long pin. Scramble the inner contents. Over a clean bucket
provided in class, blow through the smaller hole to force the
Side notes:
contents out of the larger opening. (my dogs will be getting this
USE GLASS OR METAL CUPS AND BOWLS, THE
egg mixture). Rinse the shell over the lab’s sink and prop the
DYE WILL ENTER CRAZING IN CHINA OR PLASTIC
egg in hole of test tube rack or in very small beaker.
AND BE PERMANENT. Use a separate disposable plastic or
Step 2: Melt the wax by placing a can of wax into a pot of water.
stainless steel spoon in each color.
Heat water until wax melts. Dip the pinhead (or toothpick) into
Cover the egg completely and rotate it with the spoon if you
melted wax and touch it to the egg to create your design. The
want an even color.
pinhead touched to the egg will form a small dot. Continue with
If /when you get dye on your hands or surfaces, use a
wax to make a design.
solution of 1 part bleach with 5 parts of water to rinse it.
Step 3: One to three colors are usually used for each egg. Always
However if you get this solution on your clothes, it will also take
progress from the lightest to the darkest dye color. When the
out the color in your clothes.
complete wax design has been applied, place the egg in the first
Food color dyed eggs are NOT completely colorfast, and will
dye solution several times until desired color is reached (about
run color onto hands or baskets if they get wet. Using food
10 min). (The longer the egg remains in the dye, the deeper the
coloring, you get the best result if you dye the eggs hot, straight
color will be.) Remove the egg and blot dry with paper towels.
out of the cooking pot, then drain. If you are dying several eggs
Once the egg is dry, add additional wax designs and repeat color
in the container, they will form a layer of bubbles, stir gently
process with darker dye.
until the bubbles let go so you can get a more even color.
Step 4: To finish, after the final dye bath, remove the wax by
holding the egg, a small section at a time, against the side of the
A Bit Of Egg Safety … Hard-boil with water completely covering
candle flame for no more than five seconds. As soon as the
the eggs; bring to a boil, cover, and let sit 15-20 minutes. Color
section appears wet, blot with a paper towel. Continue until all
and refrigerate. NEVER EAT an egg that has been cracked and
the wax is removed. Do not hold the egg over the tip of flame,
then sat around at room temperature. Why?
as carbon will collect and darken your design.
Why must the wax be removed before you spray the egg with
Section 2: Decoupage:
a clear coating?
Cut up piece of colored tissue paper into 1” x 1” Step 5: Eggs may be preserved with clear spray.
squares. To a hard boiled egg, spread Modge Pod on
part of the shell. Place pieces of colored tissue paper On a separate piece of paper write about
on the wet area. Continue this until the whole egg shell is a. what in this lab was based on rate of reaction?
covered. Let dry. When dry spray with clear coating. b. tell how these rates were affected by different factors.
Give your opinion of this process. c. explain where in this lab water-soluble and not
water soluble was a factor.
d. explain the importance of pH in some reactions.