45 Creative Easter Egg Ideas

Decorate eggs for Easter in a fresh new way, whether you prefer to dye Easter eggs, use stickers, or paint.

tie dye rubber glue swirl eggs
Photo: Jacob Fox

These fun Easter egg decorating ideas are perfect for family members of all ages. With ideas for dyeing Easter eggs in vibrant colors, coloring Easter eggs with paint, and applying easy embellishments made with crafts supplies, our collection of creative Easter egg design ideas will help you create display-worthy holiday decor.

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Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

bowl of decorated eggs with swirled effect
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 to create a design on a plain bed of 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 this way is a fun activity for children of all ages.

If you're planning to eat the eggs, use whipped cream—simply substitute a packaged whipped cream for the shaving cream. Whipped cream eggs should be safe to eat.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Silk Ties

patterned eggs on striped plate
Jacob Fox

Easter eggs dyed with silk ties? Yes—and it's easier than you think. Boiling plain eggs wrapped in 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.

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Easter Egg Dyes in Checks

dyed easter eggs checkered pattern
Blaine Moats

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 to hard-boiled eggs. Dip them once, then let them soak for about five minutes. Remove the tape and repeat in a lighter shade of the same dye.

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Easter Egg Decoration Ideas Using Natural Dyes

using natural dyes for easter egg decorating
Brie Passano

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

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Easter Egg Decoration Ideas for an Oil-Marbled Design

decorated easter eggs sitting in bowl
Brie Passano

Turn to your pantry to create these colorful oil-dyed Easter eggs. These egg dye ideas 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.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Baking Soda

tie dye rubber glue swirl eggs
Jacob Fox

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

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Rice

bright speckled eggs on rice
Jacob Fox

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Confetti Interiors

confetti filled eater eggs with tissue paper covers
Jacob Fox

These Easter egg decoration ideas lead to fun. Confetti eggs, or cascarones, are meant to be broken. Prep the eggs by gently removing the tops and insides. Use food coloring food coloring to dye, then fill them with biodegradable confetti. Finish with a piece of colorful tissue paper.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Tissue Paper

tissue paper eggs
Blaine Moats

Create pretty Easter egg designs by cutting your own patterns from colorful tissue paper. After dyeing your 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.

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

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Tie-Dyed Easter Egg Dyes

baking soda tie dye eggs
Jacob Fox

You might not 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 creation.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas Using Tissue Paper

Easter eggs decorated tissue paper dyed
Jacob Fox

These colorful Easter eggs get their designs from tissue paper. Layer a couple of sheets for a two-tone look, or stick with one color. Let the dyed eggs dry overnight to achieve the most vibrant color.

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Easter Egg Dyes for Fruit and Vegetable Designs

fruit and veggie eggs
Gretchen Easton

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

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Instant Pot Easter Egg Dyes

bowl of pastel dyed eggs in bowl next to instant pot and food coloring
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. We'll show you how to make colored eggs in a flash.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Watercolors

watercolor easter eggs
David Prince

Inexpensive watercolor paints make for a delightful day of coloring Easter eggs. For marvelous marbled dyes, 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.

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Metallic-Sponged Egg

metallic-sponged egg
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 into the rubber cement. Pat the sponge around 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: For the best results, prepare dye bath using boiling water.) Remove the egg 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, then allow it to dry for 20 minutes before repeating the process on the other side.

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Easter Egg Dyes for a Lacy Design

lacy egg
David Prince

To make Easter basket standout, you'll need to raid your sewing supplies. Start by creating a batch of natural dyed eggs. Once they're 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 egg aside to dry completely.

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Easter Egg Dyes for a Tissue-Speckled Design

tissue-speckled egg
Heath Robbins Photography

If you have a few sheets of tissue paper and a glue stick, you can create these festive, confetti design Easter eggs. To make, dye Easter eggs using food coloring. Stack several layers of brightly colored craft tissue paper, then use a hole punch to create dots. Spread the 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. You can also use glue stick on your finger to dab dots onto the egg.

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Easter Egg Dyes for a Tattooed Look

pink and gold tattooed egg
David Prince

Dyed Easter eggs never looked so fierce. For a glamorous look, trim the edges of a metallic temporary jewelry tattoo. Remove the front cover film and place the temporary 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, then allow the egg to dry completely.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Natural Elements

natural elements feather easter eggs
Lucy Schaeffer

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

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Margarine Marbling

blue margarine-marbled egg
Heath Robbins

Create pretty Easter eggs with the help of a simple kitchen staple: a stick of 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 of white vinegar. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 tablespoon of margarine and stir it into the dye solution. Using tongs, quickly dunk an egg three times, then submerge the egg for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the egg and let it dry completely. Gently rub away any remaining margarine with a paper towel.

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Easter Egg Dyes for a Place Setting

place setting egg letter g
Wendell Webber

For classy Easter egg place settings, make these monogrammed eggs. Choose a font from your computer and enlarge the desired letter to at least 150 points. Bold the letter and print it, then cut it 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 the paper on top of a piece of origami paper with the letter, or patterned, side up. With fine-tip scissors, cut out the letter, including any interior sections. Remove the top layer of paper, revealing the origami letter underneath. Apply glue to the back of the origami letter and attach it to egg. Repeat for all the desired initials. Shred additional origami paper to fluff into a "nest" on each guest's plate with the monogrammed egg in the center..

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Easter Egg Dyes Using String Designs

string-wrapped easter eggs
Gemma Comas

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for a Drizzled Design

two-tone drizzled easter eggs
Johnny Miller

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

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Easter Egg Dyes With Metallic Dips

metallic-dipped easter eggs
David Prince

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

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Easter Egg Dyes for an Ombre Effect

orange ombre egg
Heath Robbins

The secret to pretty dyed Easter eggs? A regular old bottle cap. Place the cap inside a wide, flat-bottom 8- to 10-ounce glass and set your egg on top. Make a dye using food coloring by adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and 40 drops of food coloring to a ½ cup of boiling water. Pour the solution along the inside of the glass until a quarter of the egg is submerged, then 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.

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Easter Egg Dyes for a Garden of Eggs

gorgeous garden eggs
Wendell Webber

For beautiful blades of grass, cut origami paper into 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 the placement of the blades. Top with a craft-punched butterfly. Elevate the elegant designs by placing them atop egg cups and candlesticks.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Chicks in a Basket

chirping chick easter eggs
Johnny Miller

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

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Easter Egg Dyes for Fun Monsters

fun monster eggs
Gretchen Easton

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

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Easter Egg Decoration Ideas Using Fabric

fabric-dyed easter eggs
Brie Williams

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

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas With Decoupage

decoupage easter eggs
Wendell T. Webber

Fashion cute and creative insects out of pastel origami paper and adhere them to dyed eggs. A coating of decoupage medium keeps these child-favorite creatures in place. For smaller elements, like eyes, use a miniature hole punch.

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Easter Egg Decoration Ideas Using Tape

easy taped easter eggs
Adam Albright

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas Using Puffy Paint

puffy paint easter eggs
Johnny Miller

Create a dimensional design with your colored Easter eggs. Simply decorate your eggs using colored puffy-paint pens in complementary colors. You can easily create flowers, geometric patterns, and other fun designs.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Florals

flower sticker easter eggs
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 decorations in silver egg cups.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Undersea Designs

under the sea eggs
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 creating several designs, including turtles, crabs, and octopuses.

Make them even more magical by using swirled shaving cream eggs as the base.

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Easter Egg Dyes Using Glitter

glitter easter eggs
Blaine Moats

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

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Marbled Easter Egg Dyes

marbled easter eggs
Adam Albright

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 them dry. Blot them with rubber cement, then dip them into the second coat of color. Once they're dry, gently rub off the rubber cement and repeat until you achieve your desired effect.

Rubber cement is not food-safe, and these eggs should not be consumed.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for a Paint-Splattered Look

paint-splattered easter eggs
Kritsada Panichgul

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. Hold the brush above 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.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Painted Bunnies

painted bunny easter eggs
Kritsada Panichgul

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Band Patterns

band egg design
Bill Holt

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

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Easter Egg Decoration Ideas Using Stickers

sticker-and-dye easter egg designs
Helen Norman

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

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas Using Lace

lace-wrapped dyed easter eggs
Kritsada Panichgul

For a pretty two-tone effect, add a band of lacy fabric to complement 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.

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Easter Egg Dyes for No-Fuss Painted Eggs

paint-speckled dyed easter eggs
Kritsada Panichgul

Anyone can easily recreate this egg design with a bit of paint and a few brushes. Once your dyed eggs have dried completely, dip a thin-tip paintbrush into one color of paint and add a few dots to an egg. Let it dry for a few minutes. Rinse your brush and pat it dry before adding a different color of paint. Play around with brush sizes and paint colors to create a stylish design.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for a Beach Theme

starfish dyed easter eggs
Kritsada Panichgul

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.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas Using Pretty Ribbons

pretty ribbon easter eggs
Wendell Webber

Once you've dyed your Easter eggs, embellish them with a quick and stylish band. Cut a ½-inch-wide strip of patterned paper long enough to wrap around the middle of an egg. Adhere the ends using white glue, then attach an adhesive paper flower to the band for an extra dose of spring charm.

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Easter Egg Dye Ideas for Shibori Designs

Shibori blue eggs in a bowl with a linen
Courtesy of Sarah Martens

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

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Should Easter eggs be warm or cold when dyeing?

    The temperature of the eggs matters less than the temperature of the dye liquid. In general, the water should be warmer than the eggs because warm water helps the dye absorb into the egg’s surface better than cold water. Just make sure your eggs are cool enough to handle and if they are straight from the refrigerator, let the dye come down from boiling before dropping in your eggs to reduce the risk of cracking. 

  • Do you need vinegar to dye eggs?

    Vinegar deepens the color of dyed eggs, so you will need some kind of acid to achieve vibrant colors. If you don’t have vinegar on hand, you can use a substitute like lemon juice, lime juice, or crushed-up vitamin C tablets. There are also some natural ingredients (like blueberries or turmeric) that you can use to dye eggs that do not require vinegar.

  • How do you make brighter dyed eggs?

    For the most vibrantly colored eggs, use distilled white vinegar (as opposed to apple cider or another type). Skip the traditional egg dyeing kit in favor of vinegar and food coloring to dye your eggs and use gel-based food coloring or add extra drops to enhance the color of each dye. 

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