Decorating Easter Eggs
For many families, making their own Easter eggs is a fun way to celebrate Easter. There are many ways to decorate your eggs and you can make them as simple or fancy as you like. You can either decorate a hard boiled egg or learn how to blow the contents out of an egg leaving an empty shell.
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Easter Eggs
"Easter Eggs" features 40 fantastic decorating projects from kid-friendly sticker-dyed eggs to festive egg garlands and elegant eggshell candle holders. Matthew Mead, style editor at "Country Home" magazine pulls out all the stops with these original and colorful ideas. And to finish off - there's a delicious and necessary egg salad recipe. Happy Easter! See some examples of what you will find in the book in the video below.
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Cooking a Hard Boil Egg for Decorating
Decorating Easter eggs is an ancient tradition and is so much easier when your eggs are properly prepared.
Below is a list of the things you will need to carry out this simple procedure:
• A large pan
• Some vinegar
• A paint brush
• Some watercolours or dye
The first goal is to hard boil your eggs. This is not mandatory, as it is possible to paint on or dye fresh eggs or pierce the egg and blow out the yolk. Eggs are however much less fragile to handle (especially for kids
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when they are hard boiled.
Do not place your eggs in already boiling water. The temperature difference makes it very likely that the shell will crack. Instead, place the desired number of eggs into cold water and put the saucepan on the stove. The water should just cover the eggs.
Add a teaspoon of white vinegar which will allow the dye to soak into the shell a little better, being sure to cover them more evenly and thoroughly.
As the water heats, the inside of the egg heats gradually, hardening the contents. Edible eggs are usually cooked in as little as five minutes. Eggs meant for decorating should be given a few extra minutes however don't overcook them as that too can lead to cracking. Just cook them enough to make them extra firm to stand up well to handling.
Turn off the stove and allow the pan to cool gradually until both the water and eggs are room temperature. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the eggs carefully from the saucepan and place them gently into a bowl. Place the bowl into the refrigerator and let them harden further for at least one to one and a half hours.
Remove the bowl and let the eggs reach room temperature again. Now they are ready for decorating.
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Decorating a Hard boiled egg
Try a couple of the following ideas or think up some of your own. You may need items like paint brushes, water, glue and scissors.
Acrylic Paint
Sequins
Food Dyes
Felt tip pens
Ribbons
Glitter
Coloured foil
Color the hard boiled eggs with different colored food dyes, pat dry and then with a small knob of butter on a piece of baking paper rub gently over the surface of the egg to give a lovely finish. These eggs can be eaten any time of the day and make a healthy alternative to the chocolate easter egg.
A hard boiled egg can also be decorated with crayons, and then tinted with food coloring.
With colored crayons draw lines and patterns lightly over the surface surface of the egg. Place in a bowl of water with a few drops of food coloring and stand for 5 minutes. Drain on some absorbant paper and then pat dry. Watercolour paint is one excellent way to paint the eggs with any design you want. The watercolour paint soaks into the shell very well. It may take several coats to get an even appearance, if that's desired.
Dye kits are another, very convenient way to decorate your eggs. Many have multiple colours, stencils and other drawing aids.
To make a solid colour is very simple. Place the egg into a small cup with the dye and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the egg and allow to dry on a paper towel or cloth. You will want to throw out the cloth or reuse again only for Easter. Don't expect to get it clean again in the washing machine!
To make two-tone eggs, use the little wire holder that comes with the kit and dip one end into one cup for a few minutes. Allow to this end to dry and then dip the other end.
Using stencils, you can mask off and apply a number of different colours to a single egg. This can be done by placing stick on dots, and thick rubber bands too.
Place eggs in food coloring and sit for a few minutes, take out and pat dry and peel off dots and take masking tape and rubberbands off.
Hand painting is another option for decorating your egg for Easter.
Another way to design eggs that resemble fine marble is to mix a bit of vegetable oil into the dye. Then, the dye sticks in a marbelized pattern that makes outstanding looking Easter eggs.
Using Wax
Together with an adult, drip patterns of wax on your egg and then once the wax has set, put the egg in some dye. Once the egg has dried, gently peel the wax off and you will have some great patterns.
Enjoy decorating your Easter Eggs!
How to Blow out an Egg
Often families will create a tradition by decorating eggs every year. However before you can decorate the eggs, you need to get the inside of the egg out. Sounds difficult, doesn’t it, especially as you have to do this without breaking the shell.
Here is our guide on how to blow the egg out. You will need some eggs, a needle and a bowl.
Use the needle to poke a small hole in the smaller or narrow end of the egg. Then use the needle to poke a slightly larger hole in the other end of the egg. Move the pin in and out and around to ensure you break the membrane around the yolk. Hold the egg over the bowl and blow through the small hole. The egg should start coming out the larger hole and fall into the bowl.
What to do with the inside of the egg
If you are working with an adult, encourage them to use it to make a cake, or an omelette or quiche. Unfortunately if you are doing this at school, health regulations will probably mean that the yoke cannot be reused.
Decorating your Egg
Once you are finished, rinse the egg well with water. Your eggs are now ready to decorate and there are many things you can decorate with from the ideas above. |
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Little Book of Easter Activities (Usborne Activities S.)
This delightful, small-format activity book is bursting at the seams with creative and imaginative activities that are specially designed for the Easter period. Enchanting and wonderfully evocative, this sunny springtime book will charm any child and make Easter extra exciting. You'll find out how to dress up as the Easter Bunny, how to cook loads of yummy Easter treats and how to make cards and decorations that will brighten up every Easter home. Every activity is clearly, colourfully and brightly illustrated with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. |
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Crafts for Easter
Even young children can make the easy projects in these books, using materials that are readily available. Colorful step-by-step illustrations accompany each craft. |
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Fun-To-Make Crafts for Easter
Spring craft ideas abound in this handy volume of 150 great projects. Perfect for setting the mood for Easter celebrations, crafts vary from the very simple to the more involved projects, but all can be completed with easy-to-find items. Kids and adults will have hours of fun-filled enjoyment with bunnies, chicks, baskets, flowers, gifts and more. Easy-to-follow directions and full-color photographs ensure success for young craft makers. |
The Hard boiled egg game
A plate of colored hard boiled eggs at easter a great idea and can be used for the "Egg-knocking game". Everyone pairs up and each person then chooses an egg. The two partners take turns tapping their partner's egg with theirs. The first egg to crack loses and the winner goes on to challenge other winners until there is one egg left. |
Easter Craft Ideas for All the Family
Have you ever noticed how most children seem to be fearless when it comes to crafts? They don't wait until they have become experts to plunge in and make fun things. For those who might be a little shy about their ability, here are a few simple and easy to make Easter items to build their confidence.
Eggshell Shells
While everyone colours eggs at Easter, eggshells also make great material for a wide range of craft items. Hard boil a few eggs, then colour one each in red, green and yellow or make rainbow patterns. Allow to the eggs to dry, then break off the shell in chunks. Hard boiled eggs are the best ones to use for this activity.
Now you've got a whole pile of coloured eggshell pieces.
Use spray adhesive to glue them to a nice wicker basket or apply them to a small piece of cloth cut in the shape of a vest for a doll. Another thought is to apply the coloured pieces to simulate miniature football shoulder pads or make tiny colourful shoes or a little hat for a bunny doll.
Paper Plate Easter Bunny
Paper plates are another handy everyday item that can be used for simple Easter craft projects. Let’s make a cute little Easter bunny.
Take one paper plate and fold it in half then release. Along the fold, cut about 1/3 in toward the centre from each side, leaving 1/3 in the middle uncut. Now you can fold about a ¼ of the paper plate down on each side, so the craft will stand up on its own. Paint a pink nose and black eyes onto the centre of this portion.
Glue the rim to another paper plate lying flat on the table. Use a new plate to cut out some bunny rabbit ear shapes. Colour the interiors pink with crayon, coloured marker or hobby paint. Leave the border white, like real rabbit's ears. Attach the ears to the standing section made earlier by sliding them into the slits made by your cuts and glue them into place.
Now you have an Easter bunny rabbit who is sticking his head up out of his little rabbit warren hole to take a look around!
Easter Bunny Doll
Easter bunny dolls are fun and simple to make. A few strips of felt and some stuffing are all you need to make a great looking stuffed Easter bunny doll.
Cut up some old rags and curl them into arms and legs, or curl them around some cotton balls for extra fluffiness. Tie the rags into place with small bits of coloured thread. Tie the legs at the ankle, knee and upper thigh. Tie the arms at the wrist, elbow and just above and below the shoulder. This will give the limbs definition.
Do the same to make a torso, neck and head, and those very important ears. The limbs can easily be sewn onto the torso or tied together by overlapping cloth parts and securing with a needle and thread. You can then paint the face with paint, or glue some coloured eggshell bits on for the nose and eyes.
It’s that easy!
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