80 Cute Easter Egg Decorating Ideas for the Whole Family
Ranging from simple to funny, these crafts are “egg-citing” for adults and kids.
For most people, decorating Easter eggs is a beloved tradition that sparks joy for all ages — from toddlers to tweens and adults. There’s nothing wrong with a store-bought decorating kit, but a new technique opens up so much room for creativity. Here, we’ve rounded up cool Easter egg ideas that go beyond food dye — think vinyl stickers, embroidered and fabric-wrapped eggs that double as festive Easter decor.
Break out the paint pens, sequins, puff paint and even a Dremel to craft these one-of-a-kind Easter crafts. If you prefer to keep it classic, there’s plenty of dyed and painted eggs, too — whether it’s the classic crayon resist eggs, speckled designs made using uncooked rice or adorable thumbprint bunnies. Wrap craft or blown-out eggs (which is devoid of its eggy insides) with pipe cleaners, silk fabric or preserved moss. If you plan to eat your boiled eggs, try a trendy tie dye technique or simple striped design. One you’ve finished crafting, your decorated eggs will be perfect for the family Easter egg hunt or as decorations at your Easter party.
Sequin Easter Eggs
Embellish foam eggs with glitzy sequins, whether you stick to a single color or experiment with patterns. To create, use sequin pins to stick each sequin onto the foam egg. Repeat until you have covered the entire egg.
Classic Crayon Resist Eggs
Collect a few crayons (preferably white or other light shades) and try this budget-friendly project that involves drawing your favorite patterns, phrases or shapes all over your hardboiled eggs before dyeing them.
- Combine 1 qt water and 2 tbsp white vinegar in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
- Use crayons to draw all over the egg shells. Think lines, spots or swiggles. The wax in the crayon will resist the egg dye, revealing your handiwork!
- Carefully pour boiled water into glass jars and add a few drops of food coloring to each jar (or egg dye according to package instructions). Mix well.
- Place eggs into dye mixture until desired color is reached. Blot eggs with paper towel to remove excess dye.
Color Block Egg Boxes
Paint wooden egg boxes with two coats of craft paint (we suggest a pretty pastel). Swap lids and bases for a color-blocked assortment, no taping required! The end result: Colorful and reusable treat boxes ideal for Easter baskets and egg hunts.
Silk Dyed Eggs
To create these gorgeous designs, you’ll need pure silk patterned fabric (think vintage scarfs, thrifted blouses and old ties) and white cotton fabric (like an old pillowcase or T shirt). Start with raw eggs, but keep in mind that the longer you cook the eggs, the more vibrant the color transfer will be — which may mean the boiled eggs aren’t ideally cooked for eating. You can also try this project with blown-out eggs!
- Cut 8″ squares of both silk and white fabrics. Place an egg in the center of the silk, with the pattern side facing the egg. Gather the fabric snugly around the egg and tie with string. Then, wrap a square of white fabric around the silk-wrapped egg and tie.
- Place wrapped eggs in a non-reactive pot and fill with enough water to fully cover the eggs. Add 2-3 tbsp of vinegar and stir.
- Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 20 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the pot and let cool. Unwrap the fabric to reveal the pattern transfer on the egg shell.
Embroidered and Cross-Stitched Eggs
Start with a blown-out egg coated in a layer of Mod Podge and have fun with embroidery designs.
- Draw an oval on one side of your egg with a pencil. Use the diamond cutting wheel on your Dremel to slowly cut out the oval to open up the back of the egg.
- Decide on a design and mark where you’d like the holes with a pencil.
- Find a size bit that best fits your string and use your Dremel tool to carefully drill holes into the egg.
- Tie a knot at the end of your string and thread the other end through your needle.
- Starting from the inside of the egg, pull the needle and string through so that the knot hits the inside of the egg and is secure. Continue creating your design, then make one last knot to secure.
Alcohol Ink Dyed Eggs
With a glossy finish, these alcohol ink eggs make stunning Easter decor. Since alcohol ink painted eggs shouldn’t be consumed, you’ll likely want to tackle this project with blown-out eggs!
- Before handing alcohol inks, cover your work surface and put on gloves (they can stain!). Add a few drops of ink to a cotton ball and dab onto the egg.
- Create a textured look by repeating step 1 with another color. Mix colors as desired (adding a metallic emphasizes the luster look).
Striped Easter Eggs
Keep it simple with colorful stripes that are incredibly easy to create using The Eggmazing Egg Decorator. Just pop your boiled egg into the spinner and use non-toxic markers to create patterns as the small device spins. If you’re looking for a way to get young kids involved, this is the craft for you!
Vinyl Sticker Eggs
Instead of messy paints, markers or dyes, try nature-inspired stickers on white or brown eggs. Import our template into a Cricut program and cut the design out of vinyl sticker paper, or use similar stickers. Carefully take the stencil off and attach it to the egg, starting from the middle of the sticker and working your way to the edges.
Thumbprint Bunny Eggs
Turn your child’s thumbprint into an adorable Easter bunny. Use soft pink or light gray acrylic paint, then use a paint pen to draw on the eyes, nose, ears and fluffy tail.
Speckled Easter Eggs
Another kid-friendly project, this idea involves filling a Ziploc bag with uncooked rice, food dye and hard-boiled eggs. After, you’ll mix it all up until you’re content with the speckled look — we love how every egg turns out slightly different.
Moss-Covered Eggs
Draw inspiration from nature by covering plastic Easter eggs in mossy greens. Just note that you’ll have to glue the egg together, so these are strictly for decoration. At least that means you can reuse them next year!
Tie Dye Easter Eggs
There’s something so striking about tie dye, whether you combine vibrant shades or pastel colors. These are surprisingly easy to make with food coloring, paper towels and a spray bottle. Before you start: You’ll want to wear gloves for this one!
Indigo Dye Easter Eggs
This egg decorating idea will make you fall in love with the gorgeous blues of indigo dye.
Materials needed: white eggs, rubber bands, scrap cloth, a large bowl, a slotted spoon, rubber gloves and paper towels.
To make your own:
- Mix indigo dye according to the package instructions. Fill a large bowl or pot with a dye bath. Dye whole eggs or use one of the following masking techniques:
– Stripes: Wrap rubber bands around the eggs to create stripes. Thick rubber bands work great for thick lines, while thin rubber bands result in delicate lines.
– Shibori: Cut squares of scrap cloth to wrap around each egg. Twist the fabric tightly and wrap it with rubber bands in all directions to secure it. Wearing rubber gloves, place eggs in the dye bath for five to 10 minutes (the more time in the bath, the deeper the color).
Note: Make sure to turn the eggs occasionally with a slotted spoon to allow all sides to receive the dye evenly. You can try a masking technique for a layered look. Lay the dyed eggs on paper towels for drying before removing the masking.
Cross Stitch Easter Eggs
These cross stitch eggs are a cute Easter craft that’s too easy not to try. Plus, they’re toddler-friendly! You’ll need white eggs, a cross stitch template, an ‘X’ stamp, stamp pads in multiple colors, and black and green Sharpies.
To make your own:
- Following the simple cross stitch template, use an ‘X’ stamp and your preferred color ink to stamp each pattern.
- Let the ink dry.
- Use your Sharpie to add definition and details to the shapes.
DIY Burger Easter Eggs
We’re sorry to disappoint, but these aren’t actual cheeseburgers — they’re eggs! DIY your own “mini-burgers” using red and brown markers, yellow paper and green streamers.
’90s Patterned Eggs
Some abstract and throwback patterns never go out of style. Bring a retro feel to your Easter Sunday celebration with ’90s-patterned eggs, designed using acrylic paint.
Fabric-Wrapped Easter Eggs
With so many fabric designs and patterns, it’s no wonder these eggs make for beautiful decor.
Materials needed: craft eggs, lightweight cotton fabric, white school glue, a ruler, scissors and a self-healing mat
Follow these steps:
- Cut ½” strips of fabric about 8” long using fabric scissors (or a rotary cutter) a self-healing cutting mat and a ruler.
- Paint each strip with glue and wrap it around the egg.
- Continue overlapping strips until the whole egg is covered and trim any excess. Allow several hours for the eggs to dry fully.
Shaving Cream Easter Eggs
You have two options: Head to your medicine cabinet to grab shaving cream or if you’re planning on eating your marbled creations, pick up some whipped cream instead.
Paint Pen Easter Eggs
Use a paint pen to transform simple hard-boiled eggs into a canvas for your swirls, flowers and intricate patterns.
Follow these instructions:
- FLOWERS: Create flower patterns on the eggs, starting with dots. Expand on them to make more of a petal shape.
- VINES: Create a vine pattern by drawing lines vertically from the top to the bottom of the egg. Add a leaf shape to the ‘vine.’ Let everything dry completely.
- SWIRLS: Create an abstract swirl design by creating a swirl and adding dots in between the swirl and around. Make sure everything is dry before displaying.
Pipe Cleaner Easter Eggs
Skip the egg dyeing kits and give this less-mess option a try. Before you start wrapping, make sure your egg is completely empty and clean, or pick up a bunch of craft eggs to decorate. Then attach one end of a pipe cleaner (you’ll need three to four in the same color) to the top center of the egg with a small dot of hot glue and let it dry. Carefully coil the pipe cleaner around the egg, adding small dots of hot glue as you go. Snip off any excess pipe cleaner once you have reached the bottom of the egg and secure the end with one last dot of glue.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women’s Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master’s degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She’s also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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