Dyeing eggs is a colorful Easter tradition. While the wholesale prices for eggs may be starting to fall after months of skyrocketing, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, they're still about 60% higher than a year ago.
As the holiday approaches, the crafting community is highlighting creative alternatives to the standard raw materials.
"I just thought, 'who's gonna wanna waste eggs on dyeing this year?' " said Jennifer Needham, who runs the children's party planning website "The Party Teacher" where she recently published a blogpost about egg dyeing. "You still wanna have the tradition with your kids, but it's just gotten too expensive."
Marshmallows — not just for 'smores
Rachel Anderson of the social media account Created at Home, posted a TikTok video about dyeing marshmallows for Easter.
"Since egg prices have gone up tremendously, I found a fun (and way cheaper) alternative!" Anderson wrote on her post, which has received over 50,000 likes.
"All you need is a package of jumbo marshmallows and food coloring. Mix the food coloring with cold water and place the marshmallow in it for only one to two seconds. I actually enjoyed dyeing marshmallows more than eggs."
Potatoes — the small ones are the perfect size
Crafters are also getting creative this Easter with the humble spud.
"Skip the expensive price of eggs this year and try dyed potatoes for Easter eggs instead!" exclaims an article on the "Rose Bakes" website. "With just two ingredients and minimal prep, having potatoes instead of eggs for Easter means buying fewer expensive eggs and having lots of fun with the whole family painting potatoes."
The article goes on to explain how small or baby potatoes are ideal, because they are close to egg-sized, and they can be used raw. No need to cook or bake them.
Other crafters are also showing off the technique, such as in this Facebook video by the digital creator team Liz & Jeff.
Plastic and wood — the highs and lows of experimenting
Needham of The Party Teacher site said she has been experimenting this year with plastic and wooden eggs — sometimes known as "craft eggs."
Indeed, the craft company Michaels said demand is up for its craft egg kits this year.
"Craft egg kits are always an Easter favorite at Michaels," said Melissa Mills, the chain's senior vice president and general merchandising manager. "However, this year we're seeing strong demand much earlier than usual, suggesting more customers are seeking creative egg alternatives."
Needham said plastic versions are cheap, but unfortunately they do not hold dye. The upside is they can be decorated in all sorts of other ways: " I did decoupage with any number of things. I used tissue paper. I used fabric scraps. I used cutouts from napkins that had cute little bunnies on them," she said.
As for wooden eggs, they dye well, especially if they have a matte finish. However, wooden eggs tend to be more expensive than standard edible ones. They do have the advantage of longevity, though.
" So if your child created a precious egg that you wanna keep forever, you can do that with a wood egg," Needham said.
Read more at NPR
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