You have a fun science experiment waiting in your own pantry: using natural dyes to color your Easter eggs this year.

You may be surprised at all the colors available right in your own home. All you need are white eggs, vinegar and a cupboard or refrigerator full of possibilities.

You can create your own natural dyes for coloring eggs by using common foods such as fruits, vegetables, spices, tea or coffee.

Dyeing eggs with natural dyes is a longer process and may require eggs to soak in color for several hours to develop darker colors.

Although a longer wait, the fun is watching colorful eggs develop from dyes you have created from foods found right in your kitchen.

One of the easiest methods is to use foods that are ready-to-dye in their natural form to create colors, such as canned blueberries or cherries. Steps to use natural ready-to-dye colors are: pour dye mixture into bowl or jar that will allow dye to completely cover egg, add one to two teaspoons white vinegar per cup of liquid, add boiled egg that has been cooled, and let eggs remain in dye in refrigerator until desired color.

Deeper colors will require eggs to soak in dye longer.

Dry dyed eggs in an empty egg carton in the refrigerator. Natural dyed eggs will not be glossy. Once the eggs have dried, give them a shiny sheen by rubbing a small amount of vegetable oil on the egg.

Refer to the chart to the left for ready-to-dye colors or use your imagination to create your own colorful dye.

If you want to decorate the surface of your egg, you can use other household items: crayons, rubber bands, stickers and a sponge.

Draw with a crayon or add rubber bands prior to dyeing to create fun designs.

Add stickers to dried, dyed eggs. Or use a sponge as the eggs come out of the dye to give the egg a textured look.

Not to forget about food safety — dyed eggs that have been at room temperature for more than two hours should not be eaten.

Happy Easter.