story and photos by Rebecca Giese
Growing up, I have always loved dying Easter eggs. I still have no reserve when it comes to decorating eggs, tossing aside the rules – mixing colors, double dipping and throwing the metal egg holder aside to dye the eggs by hand. I love the whimsical and child-like feel of dying eggs. This year I thought I would push aside the traditional dip and dry eggs and share three different Easter egg decorating crafts for you and your family to try this year.
No matter your crafting expertise, I have some Easter egg decorating ideas to impress your guest or just entertain your kids this year. All three of the egg designs start with traditional large white eggs, hard boiled. You can now buy dyeable fake eggs at the craft or superstore if you have an egg allergy or want them to last for years to come.
First up, the underrated yet adorable Stickered Eggs. What makes these eggs so precious is the textured and three dimension stickers like the pearls and butterfly wings seen in the photo. You can pick up these stickers at any craft store or online. I love this one if you have little kids or grandkids and don’t want to make a huge mess or stained tables and fingers. Give them a pile of different stickers and see what kind of design they create!
Gradually increasing the messy level, next up is the Cartoon Creature Eggs. For these eggs, you will need an egg dying kit and an edible black marker. I have found them in a superstore or craft store cake decorating section. If you are using fake eggs, you can use a Sharpie. Set up the dying kit as directed on the box. Then dip the side of the egg into the color of your choice. Just sink it in enough to have an oval shape on one side. (I suggest leaving the dying to the adults for this craft.) Once dipped, rest the eggs dyed side face down across an egg carton, this helps with any dripping and run lines of excess dye. Once dry use the edible black marker to create the features of bunnies, chickens or create your own! The marker is not permanent and quickly came off hands, but if you want to let your kids explore their creativity, I suggest wearing a smock or play clothes because I am not a hundred percent sure if it will come out of clothes.
Last but not least is the messiest, and I think the coolest egg, the Tye Dye Egg. Warning, this one did leave my hands a fun shade of purple until I took a scrub brush to them aggressively. But I think the results are worth it! For this craft, you will need a plain white paper napkin (not towel but an actual napkin that you can unfold into a large thin piece of paper), rubber band, and liquid food coloring. Unfold the napkin and place the egg in the center then bring up the sides of the napkin and enclose the egg within by wrapping a rubber band around the excess napkin. Make sure the paper isn’t too taut or the rubber band too tight so that the egg doesn’t crack under pressure, plus it makes it easier to remove later. Hold this excess napkin and drop food coloring onto the napkin in a random pattern to cover the egg. One drop goes a long way so be careful. I suggest leaving some white space between different colors to see the magical tye dye effect of them blending. Set aside the tye dye egg contraption for at least five minutes to have the colors blend, then carefully cut the rubber band and remove the paper and let the egg dry the rest of the way.
What’s on My Radar?
Kalmia Gardens plant sale in Hartsville South Carolina, April 6th, find plants and garden art by the local volunteer gardeners raising money to maintain the extensive landmark gardens. If you can’t make it to the sale, you should come out and see what’s blooming!
Southern’spirations is expanding to the retail marketplace! Find art and home decor created by the Southern’spirations team along with curated pieces to bring a little joy to your home and spark your creativity! Starting April 1st, find us in booth 23 at Fleur De Lis, near Hartsville.
ArtFields in Lake City April 26th-30th, celebrate and discover the talented artist of the Southeast while exploring all Lake City has to offer!
Currently residing in Hartsville, Rebecca Giese enjoys exploring the Pee Dee area, shopping local artisans, trying new restaurants, and finding inspiration from the history and culture surrounding her. When not out on an adventure, she’s telling stories on her blog, Southern’spirations.