Eggcellent Decorating Ideas

It’s that time of the year again: where grabbing more than three cartons of eggs is not out of the ordinary.

Kids are in anticipation for Easter and, more specifically, the lifelong tradition of decorating eggs. For parents, it’s usually a time when stress about work and preparing Easter dinner is the main concern and a constant nag. Coming up with different ways to decorate Easter eggs for their children is on the long list of things to do.

I’ve got some quick and easy decorating ideas that will satisfy your child’s desire and still give you enough time to bake that carrot cake.

The first step for any of these ideas below is to boil the eggs for 15 minutes and let them cool.

Eggstracting Natural Dye
Pink:     Mix 1 cup strained juice from canned beets with            
            ½ tsp vinegar and            
            3 cups water
            Soak cooled eggs in the dye for ½ hour

Orange: In a pot, mix 1 cup yellow onion skin (about 2 onions worth) with            
            1 tsp vinegar and            
            3 cups water            
            Boil mixture for ½ hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the onion skins            
            Then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for ½ hour

Blue:     In a pot, mix 1 cup red cabbage leaves, torn and loosely packed with            
            1 tsp vinegar and            
            3 cups water
            Boil mixture for ½ hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the cabbage leaves, then add           
            Boil mixture for hour, cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for ½ hour

Eggstreme Crayon Colouring
This is a substitute for the conventional egg dye. You colour right on the still-warm boiled eggs because the heat melts the wax, creating smooth swaths of colour.

1. Boil the eggs in a mixture of water and vinegar (about 1½ tbsp of vinegar for every cup of water) for 10 minutes, then turn off heat.
2. Carefully remove a hot egg (parents only!) and let it cool for 10 minutes. (Leave others in the water until you’re ready to use them).
3. Holding egg in paper towel, allow the kids to draw on the shell with the crayons.  Make sure they don’t smudge the design when they turn it around in the paper towel. Let it set for 30 minutes.

Uneggspected Tie-Dye Colours
These multi-coloured eggs add a fun, funky touch to a traditional basket.  This one is so simple that even the tiniest egg artists can get in on the action.

1. Place several hard-boiled eggs in a colander in the kitchen sink and dribble ½ cup of white vinegar on them.
2. Drip yellow food colouring on eggs and gently move colander around for a few seconds to help the colour spread.  Let the colour set on the eggs for 30 seconds.
3. Repeat step 2 with up to two shades (pick vibrant colours), allowing each to set for 30 seconds.
4. After the last colour has set, give the eggs a light rinse with water and let them drain for a minute or two.  Air-dry them on paper towels.

Eggsamining Sticker Stenciling
This is a fabulous way to personalize an egg with someone’s initials or to put shapes on it. You can also glam it up by adding some glitter to it.

Find your sticker — no matter if it’s letters or shapes.
Fix sticker to the egg, then place the egg in a container of dye.
Remove the egg from the dye and let it dry.
Cover egg with craft glue or Elmer’s glue and set egg in a bowl of glitter.
Let it dry and remove the sticker. 

— Sarah DiVito                                 Related Blogs 
                                                       Bringing Spring Into Your Home,Sweet, Sweet Easter,One of a Kind Show