Easy DIY dyed Easter eggs with silk ties

If you're looking for a more original way to dye your Easter eggs, look no further! This year we used silk ties (yes, ties as in men's neck ties) and it was not only cheap, but easy and they turned out beautifully!

You will need:

- small or medium sized eggs, uncooked

- 100% silk ties (I got 6 or 7 ties from my local thrift store. The selection wasn't the greatest, but they were cheap. Just make sure the tag says 100% silk or all silk. The tackier and the more vivid the colors the better!)

- a cotton sheet, or old cotton shirt (I heard of someone using flour sacks, too)

- 1/2 cup of vinegar

- water

- a large pot

- scissors

- hair ties (or bread ties or rubber bands)

- a colander

1. First, cut all of your ties open up the back, along the seam. Pull out the linings so that you're left with only the silk of the ties.

2. Then you can cut sections of the ties, about 5x7 in., place your eggs in the center of the sections and wrap the silk around them. Then tie a hair tie around the top of the fabric to hold it onto the egg. (I used my own hair ties, but also some of my daughter's little plastic ties - they did not melt in the boiling water. I also heard you could use bread ties or rubber bands.) Repeat this step now with your cotton fabric, tying the cotton over the silk. It keeps the dyes from staining other eggs.

3. Once all of your eggs are each covered with silk and cotton, boil them in enough water to cover the eggs completely, with the vinegar, for 10-15 minutes. After the 10-15 minutes, put them into your colander and let them cool completely before unwrapping them.

It's that simple! I used two or three old cotton t-shirts that I've had in my closet for years, but you can also use an old cotton sheet or cotton fabric scraps. You just want to be sure that the cotton is white to be sure it won't get it's own dye on your eggs (though the chances of that are slim with a sheet that's been washed already for years...) Happy dying and Easter egg hunting!

In the comments: What is your favorite way to decorate Easter eggs?