Decorating A Hard Boiled Egg Ideas

tie dye rubber glue swirl eggs

These fun Easter egg dyeing techniques are perfect for the kid in you. Check out our egg dyeing and decorating ideas, including clever ideas for coloring Easter eggs and easy embellishments made with crafts supplies.

Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

bowl of decorated eggs with swirled effect

Credit: Brie Passano

Use an ordinary product to decorate an entire batch of marbleized shaving cream dyed Easter eggs. It's easier than it looks! Use food coloring ($4, Target) to create a design on a bed of plain shaving cream, then roll hard-boiled eggs over the surface to transfer the colors. Let the eggs dry, then gently clean to remove any excess shaving cream. Dyeing eggs with shaving cream is a fun activity for bunnies of all ages!

Editor's Tip: If you're planning to eat the eggs, make whipped cream dyed Easter eggs! Simply substitute a packaged whipped cream for the shaving cream. If you make whip cream eggs, they should be safe to eat.

Silk Tie Dyed Easter Eggs

patterned eggs on striped plate

Credit: Jacob Fox

Easter eggs dyed with silk ties? Yep! It's easier than you think. Boiling plain eggs wrapped with 100% silk ties transfers the pattern and creates a cool Easter egg design. For the boldest silk dyed egg designs, choose bright colors and graphic designs.

Related: Learn How to Make Silk Tie Easter Eggs

Checkered Dyed Eggs

dyed easter eggs checkered pattern

Inspired by a classic basketweave, these dyed Easter eggs have a modern two-tone effect. To create the pattern, apply vertical and horizontal lines of thin washi tape ($9, Michaels) to hard-boiled eggs. Dip once and let soak for about five minutes. Remove tape and repeat in a lighter shade of the same dye.

Natural-Dyed Easter Eggs

using natural dyes for easter egg decorating

Credit: Brie Passano

For a fresh take on coloring Easter eggs, go all natural! These natural Easter egg dye recipes are food- or plant-based and create beautifully subdued shades. Simmer beets, blueberries, or other natural ingredients in a cup of water with a dash of vinegar to create the colors. Leave eggs soaking in the natural egg dye in the refrigerator overnight for the richest color; soak just a few minutes for subtler results.

Related: Learn How to Make Natural Easter Egg Dyes

Oil Marbled Eggs

decorated easter eggs sitting in bowl

Credit: Brie Passano

Turn to your pantry to create these colorful oil dyed Easter eggs! These colored Easter eggs use just four ingredients you probably already have on hand: vegetable oil, white vinegar, food coloring, and water. Get our instructions for creating the dreamy swirled marble eggs look.

Baking Soda Dyed Easter Eggs

tie dye rubber glue swirl eggs

Head to your pantry for a fun day of Easter egg coloring! Make these pretty dyed eggs using food coloring, baking soda ($2, Walmart), and vinegar. As the fizzing Easter eggs dry, a pretty marbleized design appears.

Related: Learn How to Dye Eggs with Baking Soda

Rice-Dyed Eggs

bright speckled eggs on rice

Chances are you've got everything you need in your pantry to make rice-dyed Easter eggs. Dyeing eggs with rice is as easy as dropping food coloring on plain rice ($1, Target) and giving it a shake. Mix colors for a pretty speckled pattern and display your finished rice Easter eggs in a simple basket.

Related: Learn How to Color Eggs with Rice

Confetti Eggs

confetti filled eater eggs with tissue paper covers

Credit: Jacob Fox

This Easter egg coloring idea brings the fun! Confetti eggs or cascarones are meant to be broken. Prep the eggs by gently removing the top and insides. Create a batch of dyed eggs with food coloring and fill them with biodegradable confetti. Finish the egg dyeing idea with a piece of colorful tissue paper ($4, Walmart).

Tissue Paper Eggs

tissue paper eggs

Create pretty Easter egg designs by cutting your own patterns from colorful tissue paper. After dyeing Easter eggs, try adding decorative edges, floral looks, or basic zigzags. Brush a thin coat of decoupage medium onto an egg. Position the tissue paper cutouts and gently pat into place, starting in the center of a design and working your way out.

Editor's Tip: It's easiest to start by applying one bigger piece to the center of the egg, then using smaller sections to fill in.

Tie-Dyed Easter Eggs

baking soda tie dye eggs

Credit: Jacob Fox

You'll never guess the secret ingredient in this easy egg-dyeing method...so we'll just tell you. It's food coloring! To give your eggs fun color and texture, slightly moisten a paper towel with vinegar, then wrap it around an egg, making sure the paper towel layers aren't too thick. Gently press the tips of food-coloring tubes onto the paper towel, using no more than three colors at a time. Let the covered egg sit for a few minutes, then remove the paper towel to reveal your groovy creation.

Related: How to Make Tie-Dye Easter Eggs

Tissue Paper Dyed Eggs

Easter eggs decorated tissue paper dyed

Credit: Jacob Fox

These colorful Easter eggs get their colorful designs from ($7, Staples). Layer two sheets to get a two-tone look or stick with one color. Let these dyed eggs for Easter dry overnight for the most vibrant color.

Related: How to Make Colorful Tissue-Dyed Easter Eggs

Fruit and Veggie Eggs

fruit and veggie eggs

Credit: Gretchen Easton

These Easter egg decorating ideas are the cutest creations in the patch! To make, simply dye eggs solid colors and add details using permanent markers ($2, Target). Add paper leaves and stems in a variety of shapes and colors.

Instant Pot Dyed Eggs

bowl of pastel dyed eggs in bowl next to instant pot and food coloring

Credit: Brie Passano

Have six minutes to spare? Our Test Kitchen tried the easiest Easter egg decorating hack ever! You can cook and dye your eggs at the same time thanks to your Instant Pot ($49, Walmart). We'll show you how to make colored eggs in a flash.

Related: Learn How to Make Instant Pot Dyed Eggs

Watercolor Easter Eggs

watercolor easter eggs

Credit: David Prince

Inexpensive watercolor paints ($5, Walmart) make for a delightful day of coloring Easter eggs. For marvelous marbled Easter eggs, use a round brush or the eraser end of a pencil. Create a two-tone effect by adding water to the original color and stamping on the second round of dots.

Metallic-Sponged Egg

metallic-sponged egg

Credit: David Prince

Egg dye + gold paint = pretty dyed Easter eggs. Pour a little rubber cement into a paper bowl and dab a natural sea sponge in the rubber cement to coat. Pat the sponge on a hard-boiled egg, then set the egg aside for 10 minutes. Dip the sponged egg into a prepared dye bath until it reaches the desired shade. (Hint: Prepare dye bath with boiling water for best results.) Remove from the dye bath and pat dry with a paper towel. While the egg is still warm, gently rub off the rubber cement with your finger.

To create gold flecks, lightly press the sponge into gold acrylic craft paint. Working in sections, carefully dab paint onto half of the egg; allow to dry for 20 minutes before repeating the process on the other side.

Lacy Egg

lacy egg

Credit: David Prince

You'll need to raid your sewing basket to make this Easter basket beauty. Start by creating a batch of natural dyed eggs. Once dry, cut a piece of flat lace trim that's just long enough to encircle an egg. Place it on a newspaper-lined surface. Apply a coat of acrylic craft paint to the lace with a mini sponge applicator. Working quickly, transfer the lace, paint side up, onto a stack of paper towels and roll the egg lightly over the lace. Set the lace-patterned egg aside to dry completely.

Tissue-Speckled Egg

tissue-speckled egg

Credit: Heath Robbins Photography

If you have a few sheets of tissue paper and a glue stick, you can create these festive, confetti Easter eggs. To make, dye Easter eggs using food coloring. Stack several layers of brightly colored craft tissue paper, then punch dots through the layers with a hole punch. Spread punched-out dots on a flat surface, separating them with your fingers. Working in sections, rub a glue stick on a dyed egg, then roll the egg in the dots. Or swipe your finger with the glue stick and use it to dab dots onto the egg.

Tattooed Egg

pink and gold tattooed egg

Credit: David Prince

Dyed Easter eggs never looked so fierce. To get the glamorous look, trim the edges of a metallic temporary jewelry tattoo. Remove film and place tattoo facedown on a dyed hard-boiled egg. Pat the back of the tattoo with a damp (not wet!) paper towel. Wait a few seconds, then peel off the paper backing. Gently press down on any loose edges, sealing them to the egg's surface. Allow the Easter egg designs to dry completely.

Natural Elements Eggs

natural elements feather easter eggs

Credit: Lucy Schaeffer

Turn to nature for colorful Easter egg ideas. Beets, purple cabbage, and turmeric combine with white vinegar to create rich yellows, blues, and pinks. After drying, decorate the eggs with natural objects, such as petals, leaves, and flowers, using a thin layer of matte-finish decoupage medium.

Margarine-Marbled Egg

blue margarine-marbled egg

Credit: Heath Robbins Photography

Create pretty Easter eggs with the help of a simple kitchen staple: stick margarine! In a glass measuring cup, make a dye solution by mixing 1 cup cool water with 20 drops of food coloring and 2 teaspoons white vinegar. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 tablespoon margarine and stir it into the dye solution. Using tongs, quickly dunk an egg in and out of the solution three times, then submerge the egg for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove egg and let dry completely. Gently rub away any remaining margarine with a paper towel.

Place Setting Egg

place setting egg letter g

Credit: Wendell T. Webber Photographer

Classy Easter place settings, accomplished! To make these monogrammed Easter eggs, choose a font from your computer and enlarge the desired letter to at least 150 points. Bold the letter and print it out. Cut out, leaving about an inch of white space around the letter. On the back of the paper, apply dots of glue around the white space. Place paper letter-side up on top of a piece of origami paper (patterned-side up). With fine-tip scissors, cut out the letter, including any interior sections. Remove top layer of paper, revealing the origami letter underneath. Apply glue to back of origami letter and attach to egg. Repeat for all desired initials. Shred additional origami paper and fluff into a "nest" on each guest's plate; place monogrammed egg on top.

String-Wrapped Easter Eggs

string-wrapped easter eggs

Credit: O'Gorman/Schramm Represents, Inc.

Tie eggs tightly with string or cotton twine ($3, Walmart), then plunge into colorful dye baths. Let eggs dry before removing the string to reveal white lines. To make stripes that are a lighter shade of your desired color, dye eggs first, then add the string and dye again.

Drizzled Easter Eggs

two-tone drizzled easter eggs

Credit: Johnny Miller Photography Inc

To make these swirled Easter eggs, simply pick a few complementary colors and get started! Drizzle an egg with rubber cement, let dry, then dip in the Easter egg dye. When the dyed eggs are dry, gently peel off the rubber cement. Repeat two (or even three!) times with additional colors.

Metallic-Dipped Easter Eggs

metallic-dipped easter eggs

Credit: David Prince

We love the way golds and silvers add a sophisticated touch to even the simplest of decorations. To make this Easter egg design, turn to metallic-hue paint pens after dyeing your eggs. Simply draw whatever suits you—try polka dots, stripes, or a dip-dyed effect.

Ombre Egg

orange ombre egg

Credit: Heath Robbins Photography

The secret to pretty dyed Easter eggs? A regular ol' bottle cap. Place the cap inside a wide, flat-bottom 8- to 10-ounce glass and set your egg on top. Make Easter egg dye with food coloring by adding 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 40 drops food coloring to 1/2 cup boiling water. Pour the solution along the inside of the glass until a quarter of the egg is submerged, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Next, carefully add clear warm water, again pouring it along the inside of the glass, until the egg is covered halfway. Allow it to sit for 3 minutes. Add water for one or two more stripes, waiting 2 minutes after each addition. Remove the egg using tongs and dry completely.

Gorgeous Garden Eggs

gorgeous garden eggs

Credit: Wendell T. Webber Photographer

For beautiful blades of grass, cut origami paper in graduated sizes and shades of green. Starting with the biggest cutout, add white glue to the back and mold the paper onto the bottom of an egg. Repeat with medium-size and small cutouts, staggering placement of the blades. Top with a craft-punched butterfly. Elevate the elegant designs atop egg cups and candlesticks.

Chirping Chick Easter Eggs

chirping chick easter eggs

Credit: Johnny Miller Photography Inc

These cute and creative dyed Easter egg chicks are surprisingly easy to make. Dye eggs canary yellow, let dry, and glue a quill feather to the top. Cut out a beak from orange paper and glue it on. Use a marker to make two dots for eyes. Place your feathered friend in a piece of cracked eggshell set in a nest of raffia.

Fun Monster Eggs

fun monster eggs

Credit: Gretchen Easton

Transform colorful dyed Easter eggs into fun monsters with a few simple craft supplies. All you'll need is construction paper, markers, chenille stems, and googly eyes ($2, Walmart). Once you're done coloring Easter eggs, let the kids add their own egg designs.

Fabric-Dyed Easter Eggs

fabric-dyed easter eggs

Credit: Brie Williams Photography Inc

Wrapping an Easter egg in textured fabric before dyeing creates an intricate colored egg pattern that looks like hand-painting. To get the look, use fabrics such as lace, cheesecloth, or netting. Wrap a square of your chosen fabric tightly around the egg, twist to close, and secure with a rubber band. Dunk the egg in food-safe or natural Easter egg dye, using the fabric tail as a handle.

Editor's Tip: For best results, use a new piece of cheesecloth for each egg. Other fabrics can be used multiple times.

Decoupage Easter Eggs

decoupage easter eggs

Credit: Wendell T. Webber

Fashion cute and creative crawlers out of pastel origami paper and adhere them to dyed Easter eggs. A coating of decoupage medium keeps these kid-favorite creatures in place. For small Easter egg designs, like eyes, use a miniature hole punch.

Easy Taped Easter Eggs

easy taped easter eggs

Credit: Adam Albright Photography,Inc.

Create a collage of showstopping patterns by cutting out small pieces of washi tape. Press the tape onto eggs in geometric patterns, making sure to remove any air bubbles, before dipping into dye. Remove a few tape pieces before dyeing the eggs a second time. The result? Ombre eggs as pretty as a painting.

Related: See Our Best Ideas for No-Dye Easter Eggs

Puffy Paint Easter Eggs

puffy paint easter eggs

Credit: Johnny Miller Photography Inc

Create a dimensional design with your colored Easter eggs. Simply decorate your dyed eggs using colored puffy-paint pens ($10 for a 12-pack, Walmart) in complementary colors. You can easily create flowers, geometric patterns, and other fun designs.

Floral Easter Eggs

flower sticker easter eggs

Credit: Blaine Moats

Give Easter eggs a gorgeous garden-inspired finish with dimensional floral scrapbook stickers. After pressing the pretty blooms onto dyed eggs, display the dressed-up decorations in silver egg cups.

Under the Sea Eggs

under the sea eggs

Credit: Gretchen Easton

Create a collection of underwater creatures! These fun dyed Easter eggs are embellished with felt features and marker faces. Attach cut felt pieces to the dyed eggs using glue. Try whipping up several including turtles, crabs, and octopuses.

Editor's Tip: Make them even more magical by using swirled shaving cream eggs as the base!

Glitter Easter Eggs

glitter easter eggs

Credit: Blaine Moats

Add sparkle to your holiday with this easy way of decorating Easter eggs! To make this Easter egg idea, simply mix glue with glitter that matches your dyed egg, and paint it on using a small paintbrush. The glue will dry clear, leaving just the glitter visible.

Marbled Easter Eggs

marbled easter eggs

Credit: Adam Albright Photography,Inc

You don't have to be an artist to produce these eye-catching Easter eggs. All you need is some rubber cement and your favorite shade of dye. Color your eggs and let dry. Blot with rubber cement, and dip them into the second coat of color. Once dry, gently rub off the rubber cement and repeat until you achieve your desired appearance.

Editor's Tip: Rubber cement is not food-safe, and these eggs should not be consumed.

Paint-Splattered Easter Eggs

paint-splattered easter eggs

Credit: Panichgul Studios Inc

For this modern take on Easter egg decorating, you'll have to get a little messy. Once your dyed eggs have dried, dip a paintbrush in black paint. Hover the brush over the center of the egg and tap the handle to splatter the paint. Play around with the technique—the harder you tap the brush, the bigger the splatter marks.

Painted Bunny Easter Eggs

painted bunny easter eggs

Credit: Panichgul Studios Inc

Add fun Easter designs to your dyed eggs using paint. Wait until your eggs are completely dry, then paint a bunny on your egg with white crafts paint. Once the paint is dry, add a bit of definition to the shape with pink glitter paint and a permanent marker.

Band Egg Design

band egg design

Credit: Bill Holt

Decorating Easter eggs has never been easier. Create a bold look with graphic stripes on dyed eggs using rubber bands. Wrap eggs with wide rubber bands (the ones often found on broccoli at the supermarket) before dunking them in dye. Wash rubber bands well between uses to avoid transferring dye.

Sticker Egg Designs

sticker-and-dye easter egg designs

Credit: Helen Norman Photography

To create these fun Easter egg designs, dye your eggs using an egg-dyeing kit; let dry completely. Firmly adhere white stickers around each egg, pressing out any air bubbles.

Dyed Lace-Wrapped Easter Eggs

lace-wrapped dyed easter eggs

Credit: Panichgul Studios Inc

For a pretty two-tone egg embellishment, add a band of lacy fabric to match the color of your dyed egg. Cut the fabric to fit the egg (you'll need about 3 to 4 inches, depending on the size of your egg) and secure each end with hot glue.

No-Fuss Painted Eggs

paint-speckled dyed easter eggs

Credit: Panichgul Studios Inc

Anyone can easily re-create this egg design with a bit of paint and a few brushes. Once your dyed eggs have dried completely, dip a thin-tip paintbrush in one color of paint and add a few dots. Let dry for a few minutes, then rinse your brush and pat it dry to add a different color of paint. Play around with brush size and paint color to create a stylish egg design.

Beach-Theme Easter Eggs

starfish dyed easter eggs

Credit: Panichgul Studios Inc

If you're dreaming of a tropical vacation, this Easter egg design is for you. Match colorful starfish to brightly dyed Easter eggs, securing them with hot glue.

Editor's Tip: To give your eggs a beachy texture, brush on a thin layer of decoupage medium and sprinkle with sand before adding your starfish.

Pretty Ribbon Easter Eggs

pretty ribbon easter eggs

Credit: Wendell T. Webber Photographer

After dyeing Easter eggs, embellish them with a quick and stylish band. Cut a 1/2-inch-wide strip of patterned paper long enough to wrap around the middle of the egg. Adhere the ends using white glue; attach an adhesive paper flower to the band for an extra dose of spring charm.

Shibori Dyed Eggs

Shibori blue eggs in a bowl with a linen

Credit: Courtesy of Sarah Martens

Inspired by a Japanese dyeing technique, these blue Easter eggs are so simple to create. Simply wrap hard-boiled eggs with rubber bands to create the designs. Dip into a mix of blue and black dye for just 10 minutes.

Related: How to Make Shibori-Inspired Dyed Easter Eggs

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