10 Creative Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs: SparkRecipes SlideShow
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10 Creative Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs
By Megan Patrick, Staff Writer
There are several things to keep in mind (besides creativity) when decorating Easter eggs. You'll find 10 fun ideas here, but before you dive in, think about how you plan to use your eggs. If you'd like to be able to eat them after the festivities end, make sure they're out of the refrigerator for no more than two hours and that you use only food-safe or natural dyes. For more creative projects or for eggs that will be part of a centerpiece during a party, use empty shells or papier-mâché eggs (or just plan on tossing them after the event).
Leaf Print
Use leafy herbs to create these botanical printed Easter eggs. Place a sprig on an egg and encase it in piece of pantyhose. Close the open ends with rubber bands. Dip the bundle into your choice of food-safe dye and follow the instructions. After removing the egg from the dye, allow the excess to drip off, then carefully remove the pantyhose and the leaf and allow the egg to dry completely.
Sticker Print
For something even easier, you can achieve a similar effect using stickers. Choose recognizable shapes like flowers, butterflies or bunnies, and attach them around the egg before dying. After letting the egg drip dry, carefully remove the stickers and allow the egg to rest until it's totally dry.
Polka Dot
There are several simple ways to create cute polka dots on your eggs. One, use small round stickers to block the dye and remove them once the eggs are colored. Or, after dying your eggs, you can add white or colored round stickers to the outside. You could also make the dots using a pencil eraser dipped in acrylic paint.
Wax Resist
Use any color crayon to add a design to a room-temperature white, brown or previously dyed egg. Dye (or re-dye) the waxed eggs and allow them to dry. Then heat the eggs for 10 minutes in a 250-degree oven to soften the wax. Remove the eggs and wipe the wax away with a paper towel. You'll be left with your design in the color underneath.
Splattered
Use a toothbrush to create a splattered effect on your eggs. You can go for bright, fun colors or you can achieve a more natural look using brown eggs. Be sure to wear plastic gloves to keep from staining your fingers and cover your work area with newspaper to protect it.
Rubber-Banded
Use a variety of rubber bands to create different kinds of white stripes when you dye your eggs. Hint: The wide bands that come on asparagus bunches from the grocery store are great for this. Layering the bands will leave small gaps that create interesting designs.
Golden
An inexpensive gold leafing kit can turn an ordinary egg into something magical. These eggs are no longer suitable for eating so you might want to take the extra step of blowing out the eggs before you decorate them so you can reuse them year after year. You can use the leftover egg to make a frittata!
Glittered
Mix clear or colored glitter with craft glue to add some sparkle to white or dyed eggs. Just paint the glitter onto the room-temperature shells and allow it to dry. Like the gold-leafed eggs, these treasures aren't meant for eating, so you might want to use empty shells.
Bow-Tied
For charming, gentlemanly eggs, affix miniature bow ties to white or dyed eggs using a small drop of craft glue.
All Natural
For gorgeous eggs that are pretty enough to eat, try using natural dyes made from fruits and veggies. Refrigerate the eggs as they soak in coloring overnight to achieve the most dramatic hues. Check out these tips for making your own dyes.
