How to do it

As much as I would like to own to having the talent to hand paint the easter eggs in my last post, there's no way I could have produced such results on my own. I actually used ties to "tie-dye" the eggs. Here's how its done:

1. Get some old ties (or any ugly ones you wish your husband didn't have anymore). They have to be 100% silk. I went to the thrift store for mine as all of Rob's ugly ties are polyester. Nice. Once you have your ties, you have to take off any tags and pick out the lining. You just want the silk.

2. Cut a piece off the large end of the tie that is big enough to wrap around your egg. You want the right side of the tie facing the egg and you need to wrap it as tight as you can without damaging your egg. Only the parts of the egg that are in direct contact with the material will be dyed. You wont be able to get out all the wrinkles so parts of your egg will be streaky when its done, but I think that adds to the whole look. I used twisty ties from the grocery store for my eggs but if you have someone to help you, I'd suggest using string or twine because you can get it tighter. Here's what my eggs looked like:

3. Then you need some light weight material to cover your eggs. I used some muslin I had but you could cut up an old pillowcase or sheets if you wanted. Wrap the eggs as you did with the silk.
4. Put your double wrapped eggs in the pot and cover with water. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove your eggs from the water and let them drain and cool on some paper towels. Once they're cool enough to handle, unwrap and marvel at what you've created.
6. You can rub a bit of oil over your eggs to give them a bit of shine and also help your egg last longer. Remember these are real eggs and will spoil so don't put them away to save for next year! And throughout the year, whenever you're at the thrift store, grab a cool looking tie to use next time. Happy Easter!