Ostara Crafts for rituals and decorations:

Ostara Crafts: Egg Dye

Natural Dye Sources and Colors Ostara Crafts

To make your own natural dyes you will need a generous fistful of herbs or plants that produce colored stains.

Source /Color
White Grapes /Pale Yellow
Carrot Tops /Yellow
Turmeric/ Yellow
Vanilla Extract/ Yellow Orange
Daffodil Blossoms /Yellow Green
Dandelions /Orange
Onions/ Orange
Orris Root/ Rusty Orange
Paprika/ Orange Brown
Heather /Pink
Madder Root/ Red
Blackberries /Red Violet
Bracken /Green
Red Cabbage /Robin’s Egg Blue
Iris Blossoms /Pinkish Blue
Blueberries /Blue
Black Raspberries /Blue
Beets /Blue Violet
Mulberries /Blue Violet
Cayenne/ Rust

Directions
Use a small to medium-sized saucepan, and a wooden spoon. Glass saucepans are best, as metal can become irrevocably stained by natural dyes.
Place about three cups of water in the pan and allow it to come to a low boil; add the plant material and stir occasionally so that the water becomes a very deep version of your desired shade. The color the eggs take on will always be significantly paler and you may need to add, boil, strain, and repeat to get the darker shades you desire.

When you have the water the shade you want, strain the plant material out of the water, return the water to the pan, and bring the water to a light simmer. Add to it a pinch of salt, a tablespoon or two of vinegar, and a couple of tablespoons of cream of tartar. Mix these in well. Remove from heat, and place eggs in the dye until they attain the desired hue.

Cascarónes

Cascarónes (pronounced cahs-cah-ROE-nays) are eggshells that have been collected for many weeks and carefully hollowed out. They are then decorated and filled with a variety of substances that will shower over their recipients when cracked over their heads. Common Cascarón fillers include confetti, lavender, sage, perfumed herbs, and flour or cornmeal. Though the idea now is more one of playfulness, it was once a very real tool for making magick and offering the blessings of the equinox to others.

Directions

Items you will need to make your own Cascarón include eggs and some clear carton-sealing tape. You will also need bowls to catch the inside of the eggs as you hollow out the shells; colorful items with which to decorate your eggs, such as paints and decals; and some herbs or confetti with which to fill out the empty shells. A small kitchen funnel can also be useful to have on hand.
Start by emptying the eggs. Make a small hole in both ends of the egg (I use a fork tine) and, with the narrow end down, gently blow the contents into the waiting bowl. Wash out the empty shells with cold water and let dry.

Paint and decorate the shells before filling them. The filling is done by taping up the smallest hole and using a small funnel in the larger hole to channel your desired contents into the egg. Be careful not to fill the shell more than three-quarters full or it will not break well and could be solid enough to hurt the recipient of your attention. When full, seal the other end with clear tape and store in a cool, dry place until Ostara morning.