No More Dyeing! Easter Egg Decorating Made Easy

Coloring Easter eggs is an event all kids look forward to and most parents dread. The messy dyes, the smelly vinegar, and the broken eggs can make a fun family event turn into a disaster. This year instead of dyeing eggs, why not decoupage or paint your eggs instead? Following are three excellent alternatives to dyeing Easter eggs that anyone of any age can do.

Tin Foil Technique for Easter Eggs

Materials:

- Tin foil

- Hard boiled eggs

- Acrylic paint

- Hard boiled eggs

Directions:

Tear a sheet of tin foil from the roll that is wide enough to cover a large chicken egg (about 6 inches). Crumple it up into a loose ball and then gently flatten out. Do not smooth out the wrinkles! You want those to create the pattern on the egg.

With a soft brush, paint the tin foil with the acrylic pain. Let your children choose which colors they want to use. Mixing and matching is part of the fun!

Once the tin foil is covered in paint, slowly and gently place the egg in the center of the tin foil sheet. Roll the tin foil around the egg. Gently press the tin foil against the egg. Unwrap the egg and let dry.

Decoupage Technique for Easter Eggs

Materials:

- 2" to 3" pictures from magazines or scrap booking supplies

- Uncooked eggs

- White craft glue

- Paint brush

For this technique, the eggs need to be emptied first. With a pin or needle, poke a hole in the narrow top and the wider bottom of the egg. Make sure to puncture the yolk. Holding over a bowl, gently blow into the hole located at the narrow top. The inside of the egg should slide out of the bottom hole.

Once the eggs are hollowed out, paint some glue onto the egg. Place the picture onto the glue and gently press the edges down. Coat the picture with another thin layer of glue. Continue this process until you have the egg as decorated as you want it to be!

NOTE: These are great for decoration. They probably won't stand up to an Easter egg hunt!

Tissue Paper Eggs

Materials:

- Tissue paper of all different colors

- Eggs

- Water

- Sponges

Of all the techniques this is the easiest and best for small children. Cut or rip the tissue paper into small pieces. Encourage the children to create different shapes and sizes. Dampen the egg with a wet sponge (not soaking wet but damp). Place a piece of tissue on the damp area. Keep repeating this process until the egg is covered in tissue paper! Very pretty!

These are great techniques for decorating Easter eggs. If, however, you would like to go the traditional route and dye your Easter eggs, Paas has some great new egg coloring options including Color Cups and Color Snaps. If you don't want to use vinegar, try lemon juice instead. The point is to have fun with your family with a craft that all ages can enjoy!