EASTER EGGS DYED WITH CREPE PAPER

Happy Easter Monday to those of you celebrating it! As promised yesterday, today I'll show you my Easter eggs. This year we dyed the eggs with crepe (tissue) paper and vinegar. This was the first time I tried this method. The idea came from my husband, he wanted to try something new and so we did just that. The only problem we faced was finding white eggs. We searched for them in all the supermarkets for a few days in a row. Fortunately, my husband managed to find some locals selling organic white eggs at an open market near Mostar. So, in the end it all worked out for the best. The eggs turned out so much better than I expect. Some of the photographs I found online of eggs dyed with this method weren't very impressive so I had some doubts.  As some of you may know, I'm a fan of traditional methods and eggs dyes (such as onion peels and vine) but I was pleasantly surprised by this method. The eggs ended up looking so pretty that I didn't want to eat them. Scroll down to see and read more. 

HOW TO DYE EGGS WITH CREPE PAPER AND VINEGAR?

There are a few methods you can use. I opted for one that seemed the most simple. I prepared two bowls with vinegar, one to soak lighter crepe paper and one for darker shades. I wrapped the eggs in crepe paper soaked in vinegar and then I placed them one on top the other so they would gently touch and soak up different colours one from another. There are also other methods, such as cutting little pieces and wrapping them around the eggs but this one is definitely easier. Plus, it is not time consuming. Once I was done wrapping the eggs, I left them to dry in a sufficiently large cooking pot. After half an hour, I removed the crepe paper and voila, the beautifully unique Easter eggs were there. 

BUT IS THIS METHOD HEALTHY? I'M NOT SO SURE. 

Crepe/tissue paper certainly isn't very toxic as it is supposed to be handled and used for wrapping. I even saw this  crepe/ tissue egg dye method advertised as healthy and sustainable, but I wouldn't agree. In fact, I have my doubts. I doubt that the dye coming from crepe paper is healthy at all. It is probably not any worse from store bought egg dye but I would never call this method healthy.  Yes, I decided to try it but I wouldn't go on recommending it as the best method.  The only healthy method of dyeing eggs is doing it all natural, using wine, onion peels, natural strawberry juice and that sort of thing. There are numerous sources online citing this method as perfectly safe. I don't think it is dangerous, but I also don't think it's the best egg dye option.  If you have any kind of allergies, better keep it safe and use all natural egg dyes. 

However, if you still want to dye eggs this way, here is how you do it. 

DYE THE EGG WITH CREPE PAPER  IN FIVE EASY STEPS

STEP 1. COOK THE EGGS (BEST TO USE WHITE ONES OR ADD SOME VINEGAR TO MAKE THEM LIGHTER WHILE THEY ARE COOKING).

2. CUT THE CREPE PAPER IN SQUARES BIG ENOUGH TO WRAP THE EGGS

3. SOAK THE CREPE PAPER IN VINEGAR AND WRAP IT AROUND THE EGGS

4. PLACE THE EGGS ONE ON TOP THE OTHER IN DIFFERENT COLOURS SO THEY COULD SOAK UP COLOUR FROM OTHER EGGS

5. ONCE EGGS ARE DRIED (IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR), REMOVE THE CREPE PAPER FROM THEM. 

* YOU CAN OIL OIL THEM TO MAKE THEM MORE SHINY (this step is optional)

MY EASTER WEEKEND- WORKING ON NEW ART- USING LAST YEAR DECOR

 I didn't do a lot of Easter decorating this year, I just reused some of my old decorations and that was that. We celebrated Easter weekend without any company or family members coming over, just the two of us and it was a bit odd and lonely. The numbers have been on the rise again, so everyone is keeping to themselves. I wasn't feeling so great most of the time. I injured my back and hip (probably while working on a canvas),  so I felt a bit down. Fortunately, this morning I started to feel better.  I continued with my art related work and spent a good portion of my time working on new sketches, illustrations and paintings. That's about it. 

As always, thank you for reading and stopping by.