Happy Easter!!

Posted Sunday, March 31, 2013


Happy Easter from the whole EtsyKids Team!!

Tutorial:: Onion Skin Dyed Eggs

Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I hope you’ll indulge me for a bit as I share an Easter activity of my childhood. This came from my father and I’m realizing now, that I’m not sure of it’s origin to him … meaning I don’t know if his mother did this technique or if he learned about it and started the tradition with us. But each year he dyes eggs with onion skins. My mother saves skins in a plastic bag all year long for this ritual. As teens we rolled our eyes at the bag of skins collecting in the back corner of the pantry, periodically trying to sneak the eye sore into the trash. Now I understand just how long it takes to collect a bag of onion skins AND how many it takes to dye just a few eggs.


Isn’t the result beautiful! Stunning and no two are a like. If you like, you can then drop these into traditional dyes and see what you come up with. My favorites were green and blue.

You start with a collection of onion skins … the dry crackly brown skins that surround regular onions, raw eggs, and a leg from old pantyhose, a trouser sock, or even the netting onions are sold in works.


Carefully and completely surround each egg in layers of onion skins. Place in the toe of your stocking/bottom of your net. Make sure the egg is completely surrounded by a couple of layers of skins, and tightly packed in the toe. Tie a knot in the stocking, or use a small rubber band to tightly tie off the net. The skins need to be held firmly to the egg while the water to saturates the skins and dyes the eggs. Repeat these steps until you run out of stocking/net, onion skins or eggs.

Place in a pan of cool water, submerge a few times to start to saturate the stocking and skins.  Set on stove and turn on the heat.  Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute.  Rotate the link of eggs, turning them over part way through the process.


The water will go from clear to yellow, to orange and then red … it’s working!!

Once you’re pretty sure the eggs are cooked, remove your link of eggs from the pot and place on paper toweling to cool. Once they are cool enough to touch you can cut apart the stocking (unless you have the patience of Job to undo each knot) or undo your rubber bands to remove each onion skin egg bundle.




  And this is what you’ll find inside:




So beautiful and unique!  They catch everyone’s eye and make a lovey addition to an Easter or Spring centerpiece given their rich, earthy colors.   So start saving your onion skins and pin this for next year!
By the way, an old homemaking tip from our grandmothers … my mother-in-law said they would add a couple onion skins to the water when they hard boiling eggs to dye.  Apparently, it helps the color dye adhere to the eggs.

Kathleen is a regular contributor to the EtsyKids blog and can be found on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, at her blog TinyStitches

More Super Spring Sale Finds

Posted Monday, March 25, 2013

Today's EtsyKids Spring Sale Treasury is brought to you by Karla at Girlie Pearlie. 
She is offering free shipping via USPS to the United States and Canada. $5.00 Flat shipping fee to all other international customers! This Sale does not include clearence items. Note: If you are in the U.S., please use coupon code "SPRING13".


Stop by these shops for more Spring Sale bargains, now through March 27.


Don't Be Blue, It's the EtsyKids Spring Sale

Posted Sunday, March 24, 2013

In New England, I am still waiting for the snow to melt.  I may be waiting a little longer, there were flurries this morning.  The daffodils, however, have had enough of waiting.  Their happy green spikes make me think of blue skies and warm days.

This collection of EtsyKids items features shops participating in our Spring Sale.

Let's Get Dressed Up! EK SpringSale Feature

Posted Friday, March 22, 2013

Melting snow and longer days meant one thing to me as a child; time to break out the summer dresses!
After spending the winter bundled in humiliating snow suits, dreaming of warmer days and flip flops, the day Mom replaced the wool sweaters in my dresser with parfait colored shorts and light dresses was a magical one. Spring has been a long time coming this year, making shopping for this wished for season a great way to melt away the winter blues.

Check out these shops for great sales and a spring preview.
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