First, you may want to cover your counters with newspaper, especially if you have young helpers, dyes will discolor Formica or wood. Also, wear messing around shirts, these dyes do not wash out easily. A wire cookie rack makes a good holder/ drain board for your eggs.
USE GLASS OR METAL CUPS AND BOWLS, THE DYE WILL ENTER CRAZING IN CHINA OR PLASTIC AND BE PERMANENT. Use a separate disposable plastic or stainless steel spoon in each color. Cover the egg completely and rotate it with the spoon if you want an even color. If /when you get dye on your hands or surfaces, use a solution of 1 part bleach with 5 parts of water to rinse it. Food color dyed eggs are NOT completely colorfast, and will run color onto hands or baskets if they get wet. You can reduce running by rubbing in a light coating of vegetable oil after they dry.
Using food coloring, you get the best result if you dye the eggs hot, straight out of the cooking pot, then drain. If you are dying several eggs in the container, they will form a layer of bubbles, so stir gently until the bubbles let go so you can get a more even color.
SINGLE COLOR
2/3 CUP HOT WATER
2 TABLESPOONS WHITE VINEGAR
1/8 TO 1/4 TEASPOON (15 DROPS) FOOD COLORING
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MEGA EASTER EGG DYING ACTIVITY- 7 Colors in two rounds
When I do 4 to 7 dozen eggs, I use my 1 quart measuring cups and my coffee carafes, being glass they don't discolor and the spouts make it easy to pour.
Round One
Mix the four standard colors and color some of the eggs, making about 1 yellow egg for each egg of another color. You use the yellow eggs as a base for tricolors.
YELLOW
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 bottle YELLOW food coloring
RED
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 bottle RED food coloring
EASTER GREEN
1 3/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 bottle GREEN food coloring
1 cup YELLOW mix
BLUE
2 1/4 cups hot water
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 bottle BLUE food coloring
When the yellow eggs are dry, which is quickly if you use hot eggs, dip some of them in red, green or blue on either end to get tricolors.
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Round Two
Now mix the second round of colors:
ORANGE
2 cups yellow mix
1/2 cup red mix
PINK-take these out quickly, or they get too dark!
2 cups red mix
1/8-1/4 cup blue mix
VIOLET
1 cup red mix
1 cup blue mix
Dipping ORANGE and VIOLET or orange and green on opposite ends make two deliciously gaudy color combinations.