Now that your eggs have been prepared, you will dye them. Half of the eggs will be boiled and the other half will not. You will compare how heating the eggs affects how well the dye in silk tie material transfers to the eggs.
1. Separate the eggs into two groups, with three in each. In each group include an egg covered with fabric from each tie.
a. You will boil one group of eggs, while the other you will not.
b. By including an egg wrapped with each tie in both groups (boiled and un-boiled) it will be easiest for you to compare how well each egg becomes dyed.
2. Carefully place one group of eggs in a medium-sized cooking pot. You will boil these eggs.
3. Carefully place the other group of eggs in a similarly sized bowl or pot. You will not boil these eggs.
4. Use a measuring cup to add water to the pot until there is at least about 1 inch of water above the eggs. Keep track of how much water you added.
5. Add the same amount of water to the second group of eggs. There should be at least about 1 inch of water above the eggs.
6. If needed, adjust the amount of water in each pot and bowl so that both have at least 1 inch of water above the eggs (but leave a few inches between the water level and the top of the pot or bowl).
7. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar to each group of eggs.
8. Place the pot with the eggs to be boiled on a burner on the stove. Have an adult turn the stove on to medium/high and cover the pot with a lid.
a. Caution: Some dyes are harmful. To avoid breathing in the vinegar and potentially dangerous dye fumes, leave the lid on the pot while it is on the stove, turn on an overhead stove fan, and/or open a nearby window, or put on your dust mask (and have anyone in the kitchen area put on a dust mask as well).
b. The second group of eggs, in the bowl or other pot, should remain sitting on a counter and not be heated. You will be coming back to them in step 11.
9. With an adult's help, check on the pot every few minutes to see if the water is boiling. When the water boils, have an adult remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium so that the water simmers. Once it is simmering, start a timer or note what time it is. Simmer the eggs for 20 minutes.
10. While the eggs are simmering, lay some old dish towels or rags on a counter.
11. After the eggs have simmered for 20 minutes, remove the eggs and let them cool.
a. Ask an adult to remove the eggs carefully from the hot water using tongs or a slotted spoon and place them on the dish towels.
b. Also remove the un-boiled group of eggs from their bowl and place them together on a different area on the dish towels.
c. Make sure you keep track of which eggs were boiled and which were not! You may want to use sticky notes to do this, labeling the group that was boiled and the group that was not boiled.
12. Let the eggs sit on the dish towels until they are cool enough to unwrap. This should take about 10 minutes.