how to make your own she shed

HOW TO MAKE VIBRANT NATURALLY DYED EASTER EGGS

When it comes to decorating Easter eggs, there are countless amazing ideas out there, many of which could keep you busy crafting for days. But if you’re more into a simple, rustic approach, you’re in luck—it’s super easy to make your own natural egg dyes using ingredients you probably already have at home. The best part? These dyes are totally edible, so you can enjoy the eggs afterwards without worry!

Years ago, I shared a method for dyeing eggs with onion skins, which creates a beautiful, rich color. The results are especially stunning if you rub the eggs with a bit of oil afterward to give them a lovely shine. Inspired by that, I decided to expand my natural dyeing techniques and experiment with a wider palette using vegetable scraps and other kitchen staples. Here’s everything you need to know about creating your own natural egg dyes using ingredients like beets, cabbage, turmeric, onion skins, and more.

How to Create the Perfect Colors for Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Here’s a handy guide to naturally dyeing your Easter eggs with ingredients you probably already have at home:

MATERIALS:

  • Hard-boiled eggs (white or brown)
  • 2 cups of one of the following dye ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar (per cup of dye liquid)

STEPS:

  1. Prepare the Dye: Pick one of the ingredients below and simmer with 2 cups of water (covered) for 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Beets (2 cups shredded) = reddish pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs
  • Red Onion Skins (2 cups) = reddish orange on white eggs, red on brown eggs
  • Yellow Onion Skins (2 cups) = orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs
  • Turmeric (1/4 cup ground) = yellow eggs
  • Purple Cabbage & Turmeric (2 cups cabbage + 1/4 cup turmeric, two separate soaks) = green eggs
  • Purple Cabbage (2 cups chopped) = blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs
  • Blueberries (2 cups) = blue eggs
  • Dried Hibiscus Flowers (2 cups) = lavender or indigo eggs
  1. Strain the Dye: After simmering, strain out the plant matter and add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar for every 1 cup of strained dye liquid. This helps the color set better.
  2. Soak the Eggs: Soak your hard-boiled eggs in the dye liquid and refrigerate. Note: 2 cups of dye liquid will dye around 6 eggs. You can experiment with how long you leave them in the dye, but remember: the more dips, the deeper the color!
  3. Dry and Polish: Once the eggs are fully dyed, let them dry completely. For extra shine, you can rub a little oil (like olive oil) on the eggs to give them a polished finish.

PRO TIP:

The key to getting the perfect color is not necessarily how long you soak the eggs, but how many times you dip them in the dye. The more dips, the richer the color will be, so feel free to experiment with different soaking times for varied shades.

Happy dyeing! Your natural Easter eggs are sure to be both beautiful and edible.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Eggs, Dyeing, and Finishing:

  • 6 unpeeled, hard-boiled white or brown eggs (at room temperature, not fresh)
  • 2 cups water
  • Distilled white vinegar (1 tablespoon per cup of dye liquid)
  • Neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed (for polishing)

Dye Options (per 2 cups water):

  • 2 cups shredded red beets (for pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs)
  • 2 cups red onion skins (for lavender on white eggs, red on brown eggs)
  • 2 cups yellow onion skins (for orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs)
  • 1/4 cup ground turmeric (for yellow eggs)
  • 2 cups chopped purple cabbage (for blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs)
  • 2 cups blueberries (for blue eggs)
  • 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers (for indigo or lavender eggs)

EQUIPMENT:

  • Saucepan with lid
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • A second saucepan or bowl
  • Baking dish or other container for soaking eggs
  • Paper towels (for drying)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine 2 cups of water and your chosen dye ingredient (such as purple cabbage, onion skins, etc.) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the color is a few shades darker than you want your egg to be. To check the color, drip a small amount of dye onto a white dish and adjust the simmering time if needed.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the dye cool to room temperature. Once cooled, pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set over another saucepan or bowl. Press the solids in the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the remaining contents.

Measure the amount of strained liquid and add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar for every 1 cup of liquid. Stir well to combine.

Place 6 room-temperature, hard-boiled eggs in a medium bowl or quart-sized container (like a yogurt container). Carefully pour the cooled dye over the eggs, ensuring they are completely submerged.

Refrigerate the eggs in the dye until they are chilled and have reached the desired color, which can take a few hours or up to overnight. Once they’re ready, remove the eggs from the dye and dry them with paper towels. For a more vibrant color, you can give the eggs multiple soaks in the dye, ensuring you dry them between each dip to build up the intensity.

Once the eggs are dyed to your desired color, dry each one thoroughly with a paper towel. Gently rub a small amount of neutral oil (such as vegetable or grapeseed oil) into each egg to give them a shiny finish. Then, polish the eggs with a clean paper towel. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use or display them.

Try experimenting with different natural ingredients to create a variety of beautiful colors on your eggs — and the best part is, they’re all completely safe to eat! From vibrant pinks to deep blues, these natural dyes offer a fun and edible way to add color to your Easter eggs.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, dyeing Easter eggs with natural ingredients is a creative and fun way to celebrate the season while keeping things simple, safe, and eco-friendly. Whether you opt for vibrant beets, earthy turmeric, or calming cabbage, the results are not only beautiful but also completely edible. With just a few natural ingredients and a bit of time, you can create a stunning array of colorful eggs to enjoy and share with family and friends. Happy dyeing!

DROP A STONE-COLD POSE INSTANTLY IN YOUR CHRISTMAS PICS

The Christmas Party Photo Hack: How to Pose Like an A-Lister and Look Flawless Every Time

Christmas is almost here – the season of joy, giving, and… unflattering photos. In this age of constant smartphone snapshots, the inevitable New Year rolls around, bringing with it a gallery of awkward, cringe-worthy pictures. From triple chins captured mid-laugh, to tree-trunk legs squashed beneath dinner tables, to the pesky pot belly no pair of Spanx can tame… it’s enough to make anyone cringe.

But somehow, female celebrities seem to dodge such humiliations. No matter where they’re photographed, they always manage to look effortlessly flawless. So how do they do it?

To find out, Femail enlisted ANNA PURSGLOVE to get the inside scoop from top models and photographers on how to pose like a pro. The verdict? With a few key tricks, any woman can appear taller, slimmer, and yes – even younger.

So, when the camera clicks at this year’s holiday gatherings, follow these tips to turn every Christmas party pic into a star-studded shot. Heads up, tummies in, and strike a pose…

BEFORE YOU START

The foundation of any great pose is starting with the right posture, according to portrait photographer Natasha Pszenicki. “Imagine there’s a thread running through your center, pulling you upwards through the top of your head,” she says. “Think tall, think long.”

Former model and celebrity hair and makeup artist Julia Bolino agrees: “I always tell the women I work with to channel their inner Darcey Bussell.”

“Standing tall and poised like a professional ballerina might sound simple, but you’d be amazed at how many women slouch,” she explains. “It’s almost like they’re trying to shrink themselves by hunching over, but from a photographic perspective, that only makes them appear more blocky and less flattering.”

KEEP YOUR CHIN UP

When it comes to smiling, the advice from our panel of experts is simple: don’t do anything that makes your eyes close.

“I always tell people to look at the camera for half a second longer than they think they should,” says fashion and celebrity photographer Juliette Neel. “People often underestimate how long it actually takes for a photo to be snapped. That’s when those dreadful, cock-eyed, drunk-looking shots sneak in.”

So, next time you’re posed for a holiday pic, give that extra second of eye contact with the camera – it’ll help you look more engaged and polished.

Natasha has another important tip: “Bring your chin away from your neck, or you’ll end up with a double chin, no matter how thin you are.”

For the perfect smile, she suggests slightly turning your head away from the camera while pulling your eyes back to the lens. This subtle shift helps elongate your neck and adds definition to your jawline.

And here’s a secret pro trick: Push your tongue into the roof of your mouth. “This helps lift the saggy bits underneath and around the sides of your chin, giving you a more sculpted look.”

With these simple adjustments, you’ll look camera-ready in no time!

WHITTLE YOUR WAIST

When caught off guard by a camera, many of us instinctively fold our arms over our belly or let them hang by our sides, but both moves only add width to areas we’d prefer to slim down. The key is to own it – the more confident you appear, the better the camera will capture you.

“Place one hand on your hip,” advises Natasha. “This creates a gap and helps define your waist. Then, push your elbows back slightly, keeping that triangular gap as long and narrow as possible.”

This pose is a favorite among celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Amanda Holden, as it not only highlights your waist but also pushes the shoulders forward to create that coveted hollow under the collarbone – giving you that “boniness” that’s so flattering.

But a word of caution from Natasha: “Be careful not to exaggerate the shoulder rotation too much. Subtlety is key.”

GET THE RIGHT ANGLE

“If you photograph people straight on, they look like bricks. But turn them too far sideways, and you get an unflattering tummy view,” says photographer Rhian Ap Gruffydd, who’s snapped countless TV stars.

Her solution? Turn one hip away from the camera, then bring your shoulders back towards it. This not only slims the bottom half but also naturally engages your core, making you draw in your tummy without even thinking about it.

It’s a simple trick that makes a huge difference in creating a flattering, slimming pose.

TRIM YOUR HIPS

If you’re feeling a little wider around the hips than you’d like, avoid standing square on to the camera.

“What you’re aiming for is to create an S-bend in your body that makes your hips look curvy but still in proportion,” says Juliette.

To achieve this, cross one thigh in front of the other, then shift your weight to your back foot. Once you’re balanced, kick the front heel out slightly. This pose accentuates your curves while keeping the silhouette flattering.

Julia also recommends keeping your hands asymmetrical to enhance the look: “Two hands in identical poses on opposite sides of the body will make you look wider.” Instead, place your hands in different positions to create a longer, leaner line.

And a key tip: Don’t press your hands directly into your hips. Doing so can create a bulge, so try to keep your hands relaxed and gently placed.

SIT UP STRAIGHT

To get your best shot when seated, Julia recommends turning your body three-quarters away from the camera. “This way, you show the sides of your legs, which is more flattering than a front view that highlights any fat around the hips and thighs, or makes your knees appear less attractive.”

Next, crossing your ankles is a must for an elegant pose. “It creates a much more graceful look in photos.”

Keep your knees together, suck in your tummy, and place your hands either on your hips or on the armrest of the chair. “Avoid putting your hands in your lap,” Julia advises, “because it can cut off your legs, making them appear shorter and wider.”

The most crucial piece of advice for looking elegant in a chair? “You shouldn’t be able to see the seat pad under your knees.” If that’s visible, it won’t be flattering.

Even if it means sitting a foot away from the back of the chair, always sit up straight and as far forward on the seat as you can without slipping off. This positioning will give you a longer, leaner appearance and make you look poised and confident.

conclusion

With these expert tips in mind, you’ll be ready to strike the perfect pose for every Christmas party photo – no more awkward, unflattering snaps! Whether you’re standing, sitting, or smiling, a few small adjustments can make a world of difference in how you look on camera. From the right posture and strategic hand placement to subtle shifts in angle and body position, you can instantly enhance your natural beauty and radiate confidence. So, this holiday season, remember: the camera loves confidence, and with these posing secrets, you’ll love the way it captures you.