Onion Skin Easter Eggs

For generations, it's been an Easter tradition in my family to make these beautiful eggs.  When I mention "onion skin Easter eggs" to friends and acquaintances, they usually have no idea what I am talking about. So, I'd like to share this fun family project to anyone who has never tried it but would like to.

The magic in making these eggs is not knowing how they are going to turn out.  You have to relinquish a little sense of control, but it's worth it. I still feel like an excited child when opening up the steaming wraps to reveal the artful patterns the onion skins have made.

Materials:

Raw eggs (or blown-out eggs: just be gentle), however many you would like to make.  Both white and brown turn out nicely, just differently.

Golden or red onion skins.  We usually start collecting them in January.
Large cooking pot, size depending on number of eggs.
Water.
T-shirt rags, cut into small pieces, each for wrapping an egg.
Cotton string.

Optional Materials:

Crepe paper dyed with non-toxic dyes, for added color.  
Netting from onion bag: makes a pattern of resistance on an egg and can be quite interesting.
Crayons:  wax on the eggs creates a resistance to dye; draw patterns, words, or whatever you'd like.
Vegetable oil: I never do this, but you can shine your artful eggs with a little oil after they are cooled and dried.
Anything else you want to experiment with.  One year I had a beautiful impression from an African Violet.  (It is always a good idea to be mindful of potential toxins from natural and man-made materials, but you know that.)


Let's begin!

I prefer golden onion skins, but some people have  success with the red variety.  Try both.

If you use crepe paper, stick with the potent colors and don't bother with the light hues, like the lavender shown in the picture to the right. Black makes a surprisingly beautiful addition.

Wet your crepe paper with a little water to make it stick to the egg.

Try wrapping a whole egg with netting before applying onion skin and crepe paper.  Also, try shapes in your crepe paper.  Sometimes, I sprinkle a little salt under the crepe paper to give it a speckled appearance.

Wrap it up nice and snug....but not too snug!

Place eggs in cold water.  We place a porcelain plate on the eggs to make sure they are submerged.  Place your pot on a medium heat and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, but no longer, as you want to avoid green yolks.  Remove from heat and pour cold water over them and start unwrapping them when they are a touchable temperature (use caution for children).  Return them to cold water until they are cooled.

There are a few different methods of hard-boiling eggs, and that is just fine.  However, among them there is some variation in how intense the skins imprint.  Use the cooking method you prefer.

Happy dyeing!