As my kids get older we are always trying different ways to decorate Easter eggs. The plain old pastels were fun when they were little, but older kids get bored with that and that means we have to branch out and find more creative ways to make decorated eggs for Easter each year. We experimented this year with 7 different methods, all of which I will show you here.
The 7 methods I’ll explain here are:
Marbled Eggs
Speckled Eggs
Drip Eggs
Rubber Band Eggs
Colorful Chinese Tea Eggs
Stenciled Eggs
Tie Dye Eggs
Marbled Eggs
supplies:
vegetable oil
white vinegar
food coloring
mugs (one for each color)
spoons (one for each color)
Place one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of vinegar into each mug. Add a different color of food coloring to each mug. Fill to 3/4 full with water and stir each one. Each mug should have its own spoon.
Hold your boiled egg in one hand and stir the liquid in the mug with the spoon using your other hand. Stir it several times to create a whirlpool effect. Immediately remove the spoon, place egg on spoon and lower egg into swirling water.
Count to 5 or 6 and remove the egg.
Place it on a paper towel, but don’t pat it dry. Let each color rest for several minutes, the color may get a bit darker as they rest. Repeat the above for a second color on each, or leave as single colors. Again, let them rest for several minutes. When you are happy with the results, gently wipe the eggs off with paper towel.
- vegetable oil
- white vinegar
- food coloring
- mugs (one for each color)
- spoons (one for each color)
- Place one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of vinegar into each mug. Add a different color of food coloring to each mug. Fill to ¾ full with water and stir each one. Each mug should have its own spoon.
- Hold your boiled egg in one hand and stir the liquid in the mug with the spoon using your other hand. Stir it several times to create a whirlpool effect. Immediately remove the spoon, place egg on spoon and lower egg into swirling water.
- Count to 5 or 6 and remove the egg.
- Place it on a paper towel, but don’t pat it dry. Let each color rest for several minutes, the color may get a bit darker as they rest. Repeat the above for a second color on each, or leave as single colors. Again, let them rest for several minutes. When you are happy with the results, gently wipe the eggs off with paper towel.
Speckled Eggs
Also to see some cool Speckled Egg Cookies go to Bake at 350.
- white vinegar
- food coloring
- mugs (one for each color)
- spoons (one for each color)
- brown craft paint
- water
- old toothbrush
- newspaper
- Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to each mug. Add food coloring and fill mugs with water to ¾ full. Stir and dye eggs. Don’t leave them in too long, you want a more pastel shade for these eggs.
- Mix together a teaspoon of dark brown acrylic craft paint and 4 or 5 drops of water. lay newspaper down on the work surface and be sure all the eggs are dry. Practice the flicking method a few times on the newspaper first before attempting on the egg. First, get the toothbrush wet, flick off excess water by running your finger across the bristles. Dip the bristles into the thinned brown paint. Holding the toothbrush with the bristles pointing downward, run your finger across the bristles. This will flick the paint onto the newspaper. When you are comfortable with the method flick the paint onto the eggs. Let each side dry before turning over and doing the other side.
Drip Eggs
supplies:
food coloring
egg holder
spray bottle of water
I’m sure these have been done before, but it was just something I thought up while making the other eggs. Place egg into an egg cup (or other holder that will hold to egg upright). I placed mine on a plate to catch the drips. Use the spray bottle to mist the top of the egg.
Squeeze a drop of food coloring onto the top of the egg.
Hold water bottle at a distance and mist the top again.
Add additional colors.
Mist or blow on the egg to create the desired effect.
- food coloring
- egg holder
- spray bottle of water
- I’m sure these have been done before, but it was just something I thought up while making the other eggs. Place egg into an egg cup (or other holder that will hold to egg upright). I placed mine on a plate to catch the drips. Use the spray bottle to mist the top of the egg.
- Squeeze a drop of food coloring onto the top of the egg.
- Hold water bottle at a distance and mist the top again.
- Add additional colors.
- Mist or blow on the egg to create the desired effect.
Rubber Band Eggs
supplies:
white vinegar
food coloring
mugs (one for each color)
spoons (one for each color)
rubber bands
Wrap boiled egg with several rubber bands.
Dye egg in normal fashion (as described in speckled eggs but with whatever color intensity to like). Let the first color dry the remove one of the rubber bands. and dye in another color.
- white vinegar
- food coloring
- mugs (one for each color)
- spoons (one for each color)
- rubber bands
- Wrap boiled egg with several rubber bands.
- Dye egg in normal fashion (as described in speckled eggs but with whatever color intensity to like). Let the first color dry the remove one of the rubber bands. and dye in another color.
Stenciled Eggs
- white vinegar
- food coloring
- mugs (one for each color)
- spoons (one for each color)
- stickers or painters tape
- Place small stickers on the boiled egg, or use decorative scissors to cut pieces of painter’s tape and decorate the egg. Be sure that all areas are stuck to the egg then dye as usual (as described in speckled eggs but with whatever color intensity to like). Let dry completely before removing stickers or tape.
Colorful Chinese Tea Eggs
supplies:
food coloring
mugs (one for each color)
This method originates from soaking boiled eggs with cracked shells in a pot of boiling tea bags. To create a colorful version of this you can use food coloring and water. Some methods describe using paste/gel food coloring and boiling water. These methods also recommend leaving the eggs in the water for 7 hours. Since that is probably not safe, it’s better to use cold water, liquid food coloring and your refrigerator.
To begin, use the back of a spoon to gently tap all around the egg shell. You can use your hands to gently squeeze the shell creating more cracks, just try not to create splits in the shell as this will create large areas of dark color instead of the desired effect.
Your mug should have one full teaspoon of liquid food coloring and water to 3/4 full. Don’t add vinegar or you will be pickling your eggs! Place the egg (I was able to fit 2 eggs in my mugs) into the mug and place in the refrigerator to 3-4 hours, 3 hours being the minimum. You can let them soak longer, but 3 hours seems to be the magical time to achieve fairly vibrant color. Remove the egg shell and see your beautiful creations!
Yes, these are safe to eat.
- food coloring
- mugs (one for each color)
- This method originates from soaking boiled eggs with cracked shells in a pot of boiling tea bags. To create a colorful version of this you can use food coloring and water. Some methods describe using paste/gel food coloring and boiling water. These methods also recommend leaving the eggs in the water for 7 hours. Since that is probably not safe, it’s better to use cold water, liquid food coloring and your refrigerator.
- To begin, use the back of a spoon to gently tap all around the egg shell. You can use your hands to gently squeeze the shell creating more cracks, just try not to create splits in the shell as this will create large areas of dark color instead of the desired effect.
- Your mug should have one full teaspoon of liquid food coloring and water to ¾ full. Don’t add vinegar or you will be pickling your eggs! Place the egg (I was able to fit 2 eggs in my mugs) into the mug and place in the refrigerator to 3-4 hours, 3 hours being the minimum. You can let them soak longer, but 3 hours seems to be the magical time to achieve fairly vibrant color. Remove the egg shell and see your beautiful creations!
Tie Dye Eggs
- plastic wrap for the counter
- cheesecloth
- liquid food coloring
- a small spray bottle with water (or a small cup of water)
- rubber band
- empty cardboard egg carton to hold eggs
- plastic wrap for the counter
- paper towels
- liquid food coloring
- a small spray bottle with water (or a small cup of water)
- empty cardboard egg carton to hold eggs
- Layer the counter with plastic wrap. Cut cheesecloth into 6″ lengths.
- Get the cheesecloth wet and wring it out.
- Place a boiled egg into the center of the cheesecloth.
- Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together tightly around the egg and secure with a rubber band.
- Hold egg by the rubber banded end and add drops of food coloring to the damp cheesecloth.
- Leave some white space, but use whatever colors you like.
- Spray it with water. The less water you use the darker the colors, the more water you use the more muted your colors will be.
- The idea is to allow the water to blend the colors together, but not completely combine them into one big color blob
- Carefully hug the egg with your hand and gently squeeze out any excess food coloring and water.
- Place in the cardboard egg carton to dry.
- You can let all the eggs dry in a cardboard egg carton, or you can be like me and speed up the process using a hair dryer on cool setting.
- Unwrap and revel in your amazingness.
- The second method is a little different. Take a piece of paper towel, get it wet and wring it the water, you just want it to be damp. Open it up and place it on the plastic wrap lined counter.
- Drip some food coloring in the center of the paper towel. No need to accidentally drip any on the corners like me. Unless of course you want to…
- Place egg in the center of the colors and gather the paper towel around the egg.
- Get it wet using a spray bottle.
- Squeeze out the excess and set in cardboard egg carton to dry.
Amanda Formaro
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