How to Decorate Easter Eggs: easy & creative DIY techniques

Written by: Quirin Eberl, Mar 25, 2021

Easter is just around the corner and there is one thing you should not miss: Easter eggs! In this article, you will find the best tips and tricks for making the popular Easter decorations yourself and taking it to a new creative level. If you want to be the star at Easter breakfast, the tips and techniques below will definitely help you stand out!

1. The Basics

Firstly, we have a few basic tips and tricks for you on how to get the most out of the unpainted eggs. If you follow these tips, your DIY Easter eggs will be a way more appealing than usual.

  • If you are about to go to the supermarket and get the needed eggs, make sure you buy eggs with a smooth shell. The color will adhere better and it makes dyeing a lot easier.
  • If possible, you should also use eggs with a white shell, as the colors will stick better, be more intense and shiny.
  • Before hard boiling or blowing out the eggs, gently clean them with a mixture of water and a little vinegar so that fat residues and dirt can vanish from the surface. This ensures that the color sticks better to your eggs.
  • Only use old plates and pots as dyeing utensils, as the colors are often very persistent and can discolor your utensils permanently.
  • After coloring and drying the eggs, polish it with a little cooking oil for a special glow.

2. Tips for hard-boiled eggs

If you want to eat your Easter decorations later, you have to consider a few things beforehand. Dye your eggs with food coloring only or use products that are explicitly made for hard-boiled eggs and are harmless and safe to consume. Avoid coloring with toxic materials, such as nail polish, stamping ink or spray varnish on edible Easter eggs! All of the techniques explained in this section for hard-boiled eggs can of course also be applied to hollow eggs.

Food colour

Starting with the basics, which may remind you of your childhood: food colour!

  • Dissolve the food colour in water
  • Put the eggs inside the water (follow the manufacturer’s instructions)
  • Take it out and let it dry
  • Finished! 

Natural colours

If you don’t want to use artificial colours on your Easter eggs, there is also a variety of natural colours you can use. These do not shine as intensely as artificial colours, but still deliver an appealing result and are better for the environment. 

You can try one of the following natural colours:

  • red: beetroot or red onion
  • blue: blueberries or red cabbage
  • green: spinach or nettle
  • yellow: turmeric

Boil the ingredients in a liter of water until you have a brew. Filter out all residues with a sieve and put the eggs in the brew. After about 15 minutes you can take the eggs out and marvel at the natural color!

Lemon juice for patterns

You can use the following technique for pretty patterns, lines or cute personal messages on your eggs. All areas that have been painted with lemon juice do not absorb any paint.

  • Dip a cotton swab in lemon juice
  • Carefully paint on the desired pattern with the lemon juice
  • CAUTION: Do not use too much juice
  • Let the lemon juice dry
  • Put eggs in paint as instructed above
  • Take it out and let it dry

Liquid wax for patterns

If you don’t have a lemon at home, but still want to put a pattern on the egg, we have a solution for you.

  • Let hot wax from a candle drip onto the egg to create a pattern
  • Alternatively, you can also heat some wax and use the melted wax to draw patterns on the egg with a toothpick or cotton swab
  • Let the wax cool down
  • Put eggs in color
  • Take them out and let them dry
  • Blow dry the Easter egg and carefully scrape off the wax

Marbleized Easter eggs

This technique is another childhood classic! Marbling will create beautiful, unique patterns on your Easter eggs.

  • Color the eggs in a light color (for example in selfmade brew)
  • Take them out and let them dry
  • Put on disposable gloves
  • Mix different colors
  • Drip colors on the gloves
  • Roll the eggs in your hands and distribute the color in a way you like
  • Let dry

Easter eggs in feather dresses

This technique is one of the easiest ones. However, you will need some feathers from the craft store as well as some glue.

  • Brush Easter eggs (colored or natural) with glue
  • Glue and press the feathers on 
  • Let dry

Easter eggs with tattoos

Tattoos are not only beautiful body decorations, but also suitable for pimping your Easter eggs. Use temporary adhesive or flash tattoos for this.

  • Put tattoo on Easter egg (colored or natural ones) and hold it down
  • Press down gently with a damp kitchen towel for a few minutes
  • Remove the kitchen towel and the remaining paper
  • Let dry

Easter eggs in a knitted coat

This is a technique to conjure up an extraordinary look. No color is required for this DIY, but some wool or yarn.

  • Use glue or a hot glue gun to attach a piece of thick yarn to the bottom of the egg
  • Coat the entire egg with glue
  • Wrap the yarn around the egg from bottom to top
  • Make sure that you can no longer see the egg shell and that the yarn completely covers the egg
  • As soon as you have reached the top, cut off the thread with scissors and glue the end on as well

3. Tips for hollow eggs

Every ingredient and method you can think of is allowed when working with hollow eggs as these eggs will not be consumed. However, be cautious when decorating, as the Easter eggs are hollow and tend to break more easily. How to make hollow eggs:

  • Clean the eggs with a water and vinegar mixture to remove any fat
  • Prick carefully at the top and bottom
  • Enlarge the hole with a toothpick or wooden skewer and prick the yolk
  • Blow out from one side (lean over the sink or a bowl)
  • Wash the eggs with water to remove any remains of the yolk
  • The eggs can now be decorated

Smiley faces

Easter eggs with “clothes” and faces are not only very cute for little ones, but also very easy to make. Get creative and try to draw people from your family or well-known personalities!

  • Dip the lower half of the Easter egg into color and hold it to not fully cover it (Blue is particularly suitable for creating a “jeans look”)
  • Take it out and let it dry
  • Draw on faces and other elements with a felt-tip pen or a fine brush
  • You can easily make your own hair: Cut colored paper into fine strips and stick them on the egg

Easter eggs with napkin motifs

For this technique you can use napkins with motifs printed on them.

  • Cut out the napkin motifs
  • Attach to the natural or colored egg with glue
  • Press carefully
  • Let dry

Nail polish as paint

This technique will give you a shiny DIY look. It is best to start with a light layer.

  • Paint the natural or colored egg with nail polish
  • Let dry

Stamps

Another very simple method for creative easter eggs:

  • Press the motif stamp into an ink pad
  • Gently press on the egg with a rolling motion
  • Let dry

Chicken eggs

With this technique, you can conjure a cute chicken look.

  • Color the easter eggs yellow
  • Let dry
  • Glue yellow feathers or cotton wool on the tip of the egg
  • Cut out beak and eyes from thick construction paper
  • Attach carefully with glue
  • Let dry

We hope you enjoyed our DIY Easter egg tips and wish you a lot of fun trying them out and getting creative!

The STUWO team wishes you a Happy Easter!

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