Ideas to Decorate an Easter Egg

Create extraordinary Easter eggs this year.

Decorating Easter eggs is a long-held tradition for children and adults alike. However, you needn't be limited to purchasing egg dye kits from a store. Using such techniques as marbleizing or sponge painting, you will be able to create more elaborate designs to present in your Easter basket. All of these egg decorations require hard-boiled eggs.

Marbled Eggs

To make a base color for each egg, add seven to eight drops of food coloring into one cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Prepare one bowl for each color you wish to use. Dip the eggs in your chosen colors and allow them to dry. Add 1 tsp. of light cooking oil, such as canola, for each cup of dye. Dip a colored egg into a contrasting color mixture. Because the oil will spread throughout the mixture rather than blend with the dye, it will prevent the dye from adhering in some places, creating a marbleized effect.

Sponge-painted Eggs

Wet a sponge and wring out as much water as possible. Cut it up into small pieces so that there is one sponge piece for each paint color. Add craft paint onto a paper plate, keeping the colors separate. Dip the sponge into one color of paint and press it a few times into a paper towel to remove excess paint. Dab the sponge around the egg; add other colors with separate pieces of sponge if desired. Allow the egg to dry completely before handling.

Crayon Waxed Eggs

Prepare to decorate the eggs with crayons while the eggs are still warm after boiling. Use a paper towel to hold a warm egg in your hand. Color the egg with crayons. You can make designs, shapes or write words. Lift the egg from the paper towel when you turn it so as not to smudge the drawing. Allow the decorated eggs to cool for about half an hour before handling. This will allow the wax to set firmly.

Bumpy Egg

Heat up a glue gun. Once hot, place small dots of glue all over each egg. You can create a pattern or place them randomly. Allow the glue to dry. Place the egg in a bowl of dye and keep it in until it reaches the desired color. Remove the egg and allow it to dry on a paper towel. The dye will not color the glue or seep underneath it, so the egg will be decorated with clear dots on top of the color.

Drip Eggs

Put craft paint in a small container with a little bit of water; mix it until the paint is runny. Place the hard-boiled eggs in an egg carton. Dip a paintbrush into the paint and set it at the top of the egg. The paint should run down the side of the egg. If it doesn't, add a bit more water to the paint. Continue around the egg using the same method; you can use one or more colors. Once the paint has dried, paint the bottom half of the eggs a solid color.

References

• Family Fun: Cool Crayon Colors
• All Recipes: Easter Egg-Decorating Ideas
• Kaboose: Drip-Dot Eggs
• Kaboose: Easy Sponge-Painted Eggs
• Celebrations: Easter Activities: 20 Easter Egg Decorating Ideas