How to Decorate Easter Eggs

Six Methods:With CrayonsWith Rice or PastaWith Stickers and MarkersWith Old TiesWith Food ColoringWith Paint

Decorating Easter eggs is a fun activity that you can do with your kids. There are lots of different ways to make the eggs colorful without sticking to a traditional kit. When working with art supplies, always work with hard boiled eggs. After ten minutes on the stove and some cooling down time, you're ready! Assemble your materials and let's get started.

Method 1
With Crayons

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    Let the eggs cool until you can hold them in your hand, but still feel some warmth. In general, give the eggs about 10 to 15 minutes.
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    Use crayons to draw and color on the eggs. The heat from the eggs will melt the wax so you don’t have to press too hard, which could crack your eggs.
    • If you have small children, guide them along their first egg. They may need to be shown how much pressure is appropriate or how to draw along a curve.

Method 2
With Rice or Pasta

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    Allow the eggs to cool completely before decorating them. If they’re warm, the glue will take longer to solidify and it might make the process messier as a result.
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    Dye your rice. Though you can paint the rice, it'll look neater and cleaner if you dye the rice before using it. It's a simple process and can be done in minutes.
    • All you need is a plastic bag, water, food coloring, and parchment paper. And rice, of course. If you decide to dye your rice, it has to set for about 30 minutes before using.
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    Glue pieces of dried pasta or uncooked rice to the shells. It's easiest to go side by side, rolling the egg in a bowl of rice. This ensures that the egg is evenly coated.
    • You can either apply the glue directly onto the egg from the glue bottle or tube, or you can use a small paint brush to brush on a thin layer of glue.
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    • Paint a pattern in glue onto your egg -- that way when the egg gets rolled in the rice, only your pattern will stick! This will give your decorations a three-dimensional feel.
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      • A good alternative to rice that doesn't need to be colored? Why, sprinkles, of course!
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    Enjoy your Easter Eggs!

Method 3
With Stickers and Markers

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    Put stickers on the eggs to decorate them. To ensure that the stickers stick, make sure that you dry the outside of the eggs completely and let them cool to room temperature first.
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    Use markers to draw pictures or fun designs on your eggs. You may need to go over each design more than once to get a vivid picture. Experiment with different market tips by using a range of thinner and thicker markers to vary your designs.

Method 4
With Old Ties

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    Find an old tie that's 100% silk. It has to be 100%. Has to, has to. It also has to be one you don't want to wear anymore.
    • The more colorful, the better. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a beautiful tie; what makes a great tie doesn't necessarily make a great egg. If you don't have any laying around, ties (even silk ones) can be found super cheap at most thrift shops.
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    Cut up the seam. This should double the size of your tie, giving you a piece large enough to work with. Cut out a section that can easily wrap around your egg.
    • You'll need a section of your material that fits the egg and can be held together; a couple extra inches (5 cm) at least is necessary.
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    Wrap your egg in the tie and in an extra layer of fabric. For the tie material, have the right side (the side you would see if you were wearing it) directly touching the egg. For the material on top of that, you'll just need a lightweight, light colored material. A pillowcase is perfect.
    • Wrap the egg in the tie material with a twisty tie. A string works, too, but a twisty tie is much easier to work with. Make sure the part of the pattern you want is on the part of the egg you want it on. Then wrap on the light material in the same manner.
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    Boil 'em. Put them in a pot and cover them with water. Then add 1/4 cup (50 g) of vinegar. Boil, boil, and boil for about 20 minutes. Then take them off the heat and put them in a colander or on a towel to dry.
    • Be patient! Give them some time to cool down before you touch them.
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    When they're only a little warm, open them up and see the masterpiece you created.

Method 5
With Food Coloring

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    Grab a glass. Fill it up with water that goes about 1/4 of the way up the egg. Add some food coloring. Add plenty of food coloring. There's not a lot of water in that glass. 6 or so drops is a solid amount.
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    Place in the egg. Remember, the water should only cover a section of the egg. Allow it to rest, soaking up the coloring. Walk away for a bit. Eat some yogurt. Make a quick phone call. Don't be tempted to mess with the egg.
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    Add more water in intervals. After about 15 minutes, add enough water to cover 1/2 the egg. 15 minutes after that, add enough water to cover 3/4 of the egg. After that, add enough water to cover the entire egg. Do you see what's happening?!
    • Your egg now has a graded effect. Because the ratio of food coloring to water was so small, the color at the bottom is much richer. After adding water, the color gets lighter and lighter. If you'd like more shades, just add smaller amounts of water more times.

Method 6
With Paint

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    Allow the eggs to cool completely. Set them in the fridge if you'd like to speed up the process.
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    Use acrylic paint with a brush to create fun designs. Since eggs are pretty small, get some fine-pointed paint brushes. If you're working with children, show them how to hold the egg so as not to get paint all over their hands or smudge the egg.
    • Paint one half at a time and let it dry before painting the other half to avoid smearing the paint. It'll be easiest to stick to geometrical patterns and shapes.
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    Use a dry sponge to apply white paint on the eggs after the other paint dries. This will give the egg a sponged effect.
    • You could also use bright colors (or buy dye) and put that on your sponge; it'll give your Easter egg a sort of tie-dyed effect.
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    Display your Easter eggs!

Tips

  • Use an old sheet or newspaper on the work area to keep it from getting messy with the supplies.
  • Put your kids in old clothes or use an apron to cover them.
  • Have a good big space to work in so it's not messy.

Warnings

  • Do not plan on eating the eggs you decorate unless you can confirm that you did not use toxic materials to decorate your eggs.

Things You’ll Need

General Supplies

  • Eggs
  • Pan of water
  • Glue
  • Crayons
  • Markers
  • Stickers
  • Rice, pasta, or sprinkles
  • Dye
  • Acrylic paint
  • Brush and sponge
  • Scissors
  • Food coloring

With Ties

  • Old ties
  • Light material
  • Pot
  • Vinegar
  • Twisty ties
  • Towel or colander
  • Scissors

Sources and Citations

Article Info

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