I have fond memories of using the PAAS Easter Egg dyeing kits when I was a kid. I loved to see the vibrant colors, and had a great time writing on the eggs with the white crayon provided. And then, of course, eating hard boiled eggs with little spots of color in the days that followed. (Does anyone have a good egg salad recipe to share?)
Imagine my surprise when I had my own kids and discovered that using the kits with the little colorful tablets and vinegar was not particularly interactive for my very active boys. I tried it with my oldest when he was younger, and I ended up doing it all on my own. Not exactly the experience I was looking for.
As I was browsing Pinterest, I came across a pin for dyeing eggs using shaving cream and food coloring, which are both kept in abundance at our house. The process looked easy and interactive, so I gave it a try with my sons.
What You’ll Need
- Hard Boiled Eggs (of course)
- Food Coloring
- Shaving Cream
- Bowls or Trays
Note: You may want to wear gloves during the process to avoid the dye staining your hands, which I learned…ummm…the hard way.
Instructions
The afternoon before, I boiled my eggs and made sure I had all of the supplies ready.
The next day when we were ready to dye the eggs, I prepped everything before allowing my sons to come into the kitchen.
Begin by filling the bottom of a bowl or tray with shaving cream (I used grill trays). Then drip food coloring on top of the shaving cream. I read in several places to “swirl” the food coloring through the shave cream, but I found that step unnecessary.
![Easter Egg Dyeing Fun!](https://columbiamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DSC_7437-1024x680.jpg)
Next, roll the eggs gently in the shaving cream until they are thoroughly covered in dye.
![Dip dyed egg.](https://columbiamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DSC_7438-1024x680.jpg)
My four year old enjoyed doing this process. My three year old dropped an egg into the mixture (not gently, that sucker cracked!), and was completely over it.
![Let your kids get involved in this step!](https://columbiamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DSC_7439-1024x680.jpg)
Let the eggs dry a bit on paper towels while still covered in the shaving cream mixture.
![Pretty swirls!](https://columbiamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DSC_7442-1024x680.jpg)
I did not think about the fact that my hands would get stained during this process. (Gloves AREN’T something we keep around the house.) Therefore you may want to consider keeping your hands covered while dyeing your eggs.
![It will come off eventually.](https://columbiamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DSC_7443-1024x680.jpg)
Let your finished products continue to dry a bit on the paper towels while you clean up your mess. It’s so easy to spray out the shaving cream trays, rather than having to wash all of the coffee mugs that get messy with the vinegar/tablet method used in the PAAS kits.
After you let the eggs sit for awhile, gently blot them with paper towels to remove the excess shaving cream. (If you vigorously rub them, you will remove the color.)
I discovered that a little bit of blue dye goes a long way! Eggshells are porous, but the shaving cream was not on the shells long enough to seep into the eggs.
Voila! Dyed eggs that are cheap, easy, and just a little bit messy. A perfect activity for preschoolers and older kids, and at just the right time of year.
Do you dye Easter eggs with your family? What method do you use?