Artsy Eggs
Tired of the same old dye job year after year on your family’s Easter eggs? Spice up the hunt this year with some egg-cellent decorating ideas. Using everyday items such as masking tape and rubber cement, you, too, can transform blank canvases into works of art.
Before you begin, create a drying rack from foam board fitted with flathead pins. This will keep your eggs from sitting in pools of dye while drying.
To make each color dye, mix 3 cups of water, about 20 drops of food coloring and about 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a container.
All tutorials adapted from marthastewart.com/275369/decorating-easter-eggs.
GARDEN EGGS
- Eggs
- Egg dye
- Grass, flower and plant stickers
- 1-inch terra cotta flower pots
Dye egg to desired color. Let dry for 30 minutes.
Apply blades of grass and plant stickers along egg. Place in terra cotta pot.
LACE EGGS
- Eggs
- Egg dye
- Rubber bands
- Lace trimmings or scraps from a worn tablecloth or curtains
- Scissors
Cut lace into strips long enough to wrap around eggs and still have extra to form a sash for holding.
Wrap eggs and secure lace with rubber bands.
Dye eggs.
Lift egg out of dye bath, cut off rubber bands, and unwrap lace. Let dry on foam board fitted with flathead pins.
MARBELIZED EGGS
- Eggs
- Egg dye
- Olive oil
- Paper towels
Place egg in dye, and leave it submerged until it turns the desired shade.
In a wide, shallow bowl, prepare a second batch of dye, which will provide the swirls, in a darker shade or a different color. Liquid should be 1/2 inch deep. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Run a fork through this mixture, creating curlicues of oil on the surface.
As oil swirls, place dyed egg in mixture, and roll it once around the bowl to pick up oil streaks. Remove the egg.
Gently pat egg with a paper towel. Let it dry. You can experiment with color combinations; vary the base tints and the swirls to achieve striking contrasts, subtle shadings or multihued richness.
MASKED EGGS
- Eggs
- Egg dye
- Masking tape
- Paper towels
Wrap masking tape around the egg. Rub the tape at the edges with your fingernail for a good seal so dye can’t seep underneath.
Dye egg to desired color.
Blot with a paper towel. Let dry 10 minutes.
Remove masking tape.
DRIPPED ON EGGS
- Eggs
Egg dye rubber cement Using the brush applicator attached to the rubber cement’s lid, drizzle rubber cement onto an eggshell in the desired pattern. Let sit until it’s dry to the touch, about 30 minutes.
Place egg in dye bath until it reaches desired color. Let dry for 30 minutes.
Repeat the entire process, applying another layer of rubber cement and letting it dry, then applying another layer of dye and letting it dry.
Gently rub the glue off the egg with your fingers to yield a “dripped” appearance. Be careful not to crack the egg.