Dying Easter eggs is always a fun tradition for kids. But traditional water dying can get pretty messy – especially if you have young children at home. This year, why not try something different with this fun rice Easter egg dye? In addition to being a less messy alternative to traditional dying methods, using rice to dye your eggs creates a unique speckled look that’s sure to impress your kids.
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What Do I Need to Use Rice Easter Egg Dye?
Using rice to dye your Easter eggs is a great way to create beautiful eggs to hide at your Easter egg hunt this year. And the best part is that there’s no messy water or vinegar involved! In fact, you only need a few simple supplies for this egg-dying method, including:
- White rice
- Food coloring
- Boiled eggs
- Quart baggies
- Rubber gloves (optional)
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How Do I Use Rice Easter Egg Dye?
This year, skip the water and vinegar cups and make dyed eggs using rice instead! This fun dying method is less messy and a nice change to the traditional chaos of dying eggs. And all you have to do is follow these simple steps to color your eggs with your kids using rice:
Step One: Prepare the Rice
Before you can start preparing your ingredients, you need to decide how many colors you’ll be using to dye your eggs. You will need one plastic bag and one cup of rice per color, so keep that in mind as you’re making your plan. Once you have your colors decided on, add one cup of rice to each quart bag.
Step Two: Add the Food Coloring
Put on a pair of plastic gloves to protect your hands, if you want, then add four drops of food coloring to each bag, using only one color per bag. Remove excess air from the bag and seal the top. Then, squish the rice and food coloring together until all the dye is worked into the rice evenly.
Step Three: Add the Eggs
Towel dry each egg to remove excess moisture from the shell, then place one egg in a bag. Remove air from the bag and seal the top. Then, gently move the egg around the bag, turning it to coat the entire shell in coloring. When you’re satisfied with the color, remove the egg from the bag and set it aside to dry.
Rice Easter Egg Dying Tips and Tricks
Since the food coloring is contained in bags, this is a mess-free method for coloring Easter eggs! That means it’s the perfect project for kids of any age. And with these helpful tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to some amazing colored eggs without the need for messy vinegar and dye.
- Add more dye, as needed. After coloring a few eggs in the rice and food coloring, you might notice that the dye isn’t attaching to the eggs as much. Simply add a few more drops of food coloring to the bag and squish it around in the rice to refresh the color before adding more eggs.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors. While water-based food coloring will work with this craft, the colors will be slightly muted. If you’re hoping for your eggs to be more brightly colored, use gel food coloring instead of the water-based version.
- Try it with white or brown eggs. This simple craft works well with both white or farm fresh brown eggs. Although white eggs will turn out more brightly colored, you can place your brown eggs in the dye too. Brown eggs will appear less saturated or darker, depending on the shades of food coloring you’re using.
- Decorate with multiple colors. Create eggs with various colors using this method by allowing the colors to dry for a few minutes. After adding one color to the eggs, set it aside to dry. When the color is dry to the touch, you can place in a bag with a different color and repeat the process.
Can You Use Rice and Gel Food Coloring for Dying Eggs?
Yes! In fact, the combination of gel food coloring and rice is one of the best mess-free methods for adding a speckled look to your eggs. That’s because all you have to do is combine the rice and food coloring in a bag, then toss the eggs in the color. The result is a fun, spotty look that doesn’t require any messy water or vinegar.
What Type of Rice is Best for Dying Eggs?
The good news about this easy project is that any type of rice will work! Minute rice seems to soak up the food coloring a little more quickly, making it the best option. But regular white rice is also a good option for dying your eggs. You can even use brown rice if that’s the only type of rice you have on hand.
What Can I Use in Place of Vinegar for Dying Eggs?
The traditional method for dying Easter eggs usually requires you to use smelly and messy white vinegar. But with the help of rice and food coloring, you can skip the mess of vinegar all together. All you need is rice, gel food coloring, and some plastic storage bags!
Rice Easter Egg Dye
Ingredients
- White Rice
- Food Dye
- Boiled Eggs
- Quart Baggies
- Rubber Gloves optional
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the Rice
- Before you can start preparing your ingredients, you need to decide how many colors you’ll be using to dye your eggs. You will need one plastic bag and one cup of rice per color, so keep that in mind as you’re making your plan. Once you have your colors decided on, add one cup of rice to each quart bag.
Step Two: Add the Food Coloring
- Put on a pair of plastic gloves to protect your hands, if you want, then add four drops of food coloring to each bag, using only one color per bag. Remove excess air from the bag and seal the top. Then, squish the rice and food coloring together until all the dye is worked into the rice evenly.
Step Three: Add the Eggs
- Towel dry each egg to remove excess moisture from the shell, then place one egg in a bag. Remove air from the bag and seal the top. Then, gently move the egg around the bag, turning it to coat the entire shell in coloring. When you’re satisfied with the color, remove the egg from the bag and set it aside to dry.