Nature Dyed Easter Eggs

This idea was found on Pinterest, our favorite gardening and arts and crafts resource.  Before I was even aware what was going on, Ingrid had four big pots simmering on the stove with bright red, orange, yellow and purple broths steaming away.  A diverse selection of leaves -- yarrow, grapes, japanese elm, and others -- was piled on the kitchen table next to stockings that I've never seen Ingrid wear in my life.  Turns ought she went out and bought them for this project.  The result was beautiful and the process very fun for observers and participants alike.  We realized later that the dyes would have been much deeper, more brilliant had we let the eggs sit in the dyes over night.  Next time, maybe we'll try that, although there's something nice about the muted, natural look of the ones we made this time.  We're also thinking of dying raw eggs, blowing out the centers and making gifts of them for the future.  Ingrid, made the dyes from purple cabbage (blue), beats (red), paprika (orange), tumeric (yellow).  She started out trying to make green with kale and parsley, but that didn't work too well. Next time, she thinks yellow onion skin will work better than the paprika.