Need easy egg coloring ideas for Easter eggs or wondering what is a unique way to dye Easter eggs, how to color eggs with food (natural dyes), or want to go old school with how dye eggs with food coloring? Try these easy easy egg dye recipe ideas — fun and safe dye for Easter eggs different ways for holiday fun! ALSO: free printable Easter coloring pages for kindergarten / preschool and up!
Easy DIY Egg Coloring Ideas (Fun Spring Easter Crafts)
As Easter approaches, many of us are planning Easter festivities and coloring Easter eggs. What are some different ways to dye Easter eggs? Check out our fun Easter egg coloring ideas and egg decorating ideas for school, homeschool, youth group, or fun for Easter gatherings with family crafts!
How do you color eggs for Easter?
19 Creative Ways To Dye Eggs And Color Easter Eggs:
- Vinegar and food coloring for different egg dye color combinations (yes! even unexpected colors!)
- Natural with food dyes (how do you make egg dye without a kit)
- Easter egg color pellets that you buy from the store
- Whipped cream Easter eggs
- Eggs with shaving cream and food color (or also whipped cream and food color is a great way to color eggs for toddlers and preschoolers)
- Painting
- Melted crayon Easter Eggs (makes really fun designs for eggs!)
- Stencils and paint pens
- Tie Dye Easter Eggs (use rubber bands and food safe dye to create different effects, different patterns, and unique designs for tie-dye eggs!)
- Stickers
- Bubble wrap coloring
- Temporary tattoos (yes, really!)
- Decoupage eggs with tissue paper and craft glue (or even just water will stick the paper on eggs!)
- Spray paint Easter eggs
- Easter egg designs drawings with colored pencils or markers (great for bold colors)
- Washi tape
- Gold leaf (for different effects)
- Food safe “spray paint”
- Old-fashioned Easter egg coloring kit aka: egg coloring vinegar (think color egg coloring tablets and vinegar – recipe for how to make egg coloring with food coloring at home below!)
KEEP SCROLLING: Don’t miss the full egg coloring ideas and Easter egg decorating activities below. See below for more boiled egg decorating ideas and how to take your egg decorating to the next level — including how to have fun with faux eggs and tons of other fun Easter egg ideas!
What household items can you use to dye eggs?
- Kool-aid
- Beets
- Beet juice
- Grap juice
- Berries
- Jell-O
- Activated charcoal (for black Easter egg dye or gray Easter eggs)
- Other colored juices (like cranberry juice)
- Red onion skins
- Crayons
- Markers
- Purple cabbage
- Food coloring
- Colored pencils
*CRAFT PRO TIP: Back in the day, there was a method to use silk ties for dyeing eggs. However, this can release toxic chemicals from the paint on the ties. (If you’ve ever done this — and we have — the smell is really bad when boiling the ties to release the color!) We don’t recommend this method, especially if you’re going to eat the eggs after coloring them!
ALSO CHECK OUT MORE FUN FOR EASTER AND EASTER KIDS ACTIVITIES:
Fun Games To Play With Easter Eggs
How To Make Egg Coloring Darker
You may be wondering how do you make brighter dyed eggs? No matter what easy egg dying ideas for toddlers or older kids you are using, to make Easter eggs darker you almost always leave the eggs in the dye longer. It works whether you’re using the using natural food dyes for Easter eggs or food colored Easter eggs. Leave them in the dye longer and the egg colors will be more vibrant or a darker, richer color (depending on the method you use).
Want to decorate eggs but not use real eggs?
Try a paintable egg kit or an Easter egg kit like this that has paint, stickers, and more for decorating fake eggs! (This squishy egg kit is also fun for Easter crafts!)
These methods are great Easter egg coloring ideas for toddlers because you don’t have to worry about the egg breaking or cracking!
Unique Easter Eggs Idea: There are also these cute wooden eggs that you can use for more natural decorations (like twine, twigs, and flowers for a fun activity). They also make Easter egg decorations in a small bowl (just plain!).
DON’T MISS YOUR FREE EASTER PRINTABLE LATER IN THIS POST!
KEEP SCROLLING!
OK! Now let’s get to the creative ideas for Easter eggs and how to color eggs without a kit! (YAY for DIY simple egg coloring ideas!)
HOW TO DYE EASTER EGGS 3 WAYS (Best Ideas for Decorating Easter Eggs)
Kids of all ages (and adults) love coloring eggs for Easter.
There are so many fun ways to color and decorate eggs — beyond the traditional methods for coloring Easter egg or making a dyed egg.
Unique Ways To Color Eggs
In this section we’ll cover:
- How do you boil eggs for Easter egg dye
- How to boil eggs so that they peel easily
- Creating fun Easter eggs colors, easy easter egg coloring ideas, and Easter eggs ideas you didn’t know about!
- How do you color eggs naturally (without chemicals)
- If you can color brown eggs
- If you can color raw eggs
- How to color eggs with food coloring or paint
- How to color Easter eggs shaving cream (or Easter eggs Cool Whip)
- Is it safe to eat eggs decorated with shaving cream
- Can you dye eggs without the shell
First, let’s cover:
How To Boil Easter Eggs
How do you boil eggs for Easter egg dye?
Knowing how to boil eggs seems sounds like it would be easy, right?
I mean, it’s water… AND EGGS.
How hard could it be?
If you’ve ever boiled eggs for holiday, lunch, or any other reason, you know that sometimes it can be hit or miss.
Did you know that the green ring around the yolk of an egg means you boiled your egg too long or at too high of a temperature?
And, peeling those boiled eggs can be a total nightmare. Here are directions on how to boil eggs that we’ve been using for a few years now and it works every time.
(Thanks to my friend Tawni over at Unsoaped.com for sharing these instructions!)
Plus?
They’re SUPER EASY to peel after (especially if you’re not coloring them)!
How To Hard Boil Easter Eggs
How to Boil Eggs That Peel Easily:
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add eggs after water is boiling. (Carefully and gently lower eggs into hot water!)
- Cover and turn down the heat to a light, rolling boil.
- Cook 13 – 15 minutes.
- Drain immediately and cover eggs in a cold water ice bath.
- Leave eggs in ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Peel for perfect hard-boiled eggs! (Such an easy way!)
*If you’re boiling eggs to color, leave off Step 7 for egg decorating and coloring!
GET PRINTABLE BOILED EGG RECIPE DIRECTIONS HERE
How do you color Easter eggs naturally?
So, you may be wondering how do you color Easter eggs naturally?
Like, how to dye eggs red and how to dye eggs pink (and many other colors and unique egg coloring ideas) when you’re coloring eggs naturally and, can you dye eggs naturally?
First, you can buy natural food coloring with no artificial dyes.
For example, this Watkins food coloring is made with pure vegetable juices and spices instead of artificial coloring.
Directions For Natural Egg Dye
If you want to try natural products at home, follow these directions for coloring eggs:
- Add water to a saucepan. The amount of water (number of cups) will depend on how many eggs you will be coloring for that batch.
- Add the natural dye item to the saucepan (see list below) and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes. Check the color of the water. Your eggs will be a few shades lighter than the dye in the pan, so continue to cook in 10 minute increments until you get the desired shades.
- When you’ve reached the desired colors, remove the pan from heat and cool completely.
- Strain the liquid.
- Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every 1 cup of dye. Stir.
- Add room temperature boiled eggs to a bowl, pour cooled dye over the eggs so that they are completely covered with the dye.
- Place eggs (in the dye) in refrigerator until your eggs have reached the color you want.
- Repeat with each natural food item to get different colors.
How to Dye Easter Eggs Without Chemicals
Dyeing Eggs With Onion Skins and Other Natural Food Items
If dying eggs with food coloring isn’t your thing, use the following food items you have around the house to color Easter eggs naturally!
I love this simple way of giving eggs color with natural ingredients.
(It might be my new favorite Easter egg coloring method!)
This would be a fun tradition to start where you try different foods each year!
Natural Egg Dye Chart:
- Red onion skins: Make red or lavender dye
- Yellow onion skins: Make orange (white eggs) or rust red (brown eggs)
- Turmeric spice: Makes yellow dye
- Purple cabbage: Makes blue (white eggs) and green (brown eggs) dye
- Beets or beet juice: Make pink (white eggs) or darker pink/maroon/red (brown eggs) dye
- Spinach: Makes green dye
- Grape juice: Makes purple dye
The natural Easter egg dyes will result in dyed eggs that are a more natural, pastel color (rather than the bright, vibrant colorful eggs of other dyes). However, these still make beautiful Easter eggs! It’s just a different look than other methods.
They also make beautiful Easter decorations on the Easter dinner table!
This is definitely one of those Easter egg decorating ideas you need to try with kids!
PRINT DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO DYE EGGS NATURALLY HERE
PRO TIPS: If you’re looking for Easter egg ideas easy for kids, this method might not be it because it takes a little longer than other methods.
DON’T FORGET TO GET THE FREE EASTER PRINTABLE LATER IN THE POST. WE’VE LISTED OUT THE DIRECTIONS AND AMOUNTS FOR THE NATURAL EGG DYEING SO YOU CAN PRINT IT AND KEEP IT!
Will brown eggs color for Easter?
YES! You can color brown eggs for Easter the same way that you can color white eggs. However, don’t expect the colors on brown eggs to be as vibrant color as the dye colors on white eggs. The brown eggs will dye more muted (even more than pastel colors) and have a more natural look, but are just as pretty and fun as the white eggs! You can dye any color eggs that come from your own chickens or from the store!
Can you dye raw eggs for Easter?
You may also be wondering, “Can you dye eggs without boiling them?” You can color Easter eggs without boiling them, but your little ones need to be more careful with them. Obviously, uncooked eggs will break easy, so they’re not good for an Easter egg hunt with the Easter bunny.
If you are worried about bacteria on the raw eggs and your kids handling them, just gently wash the regular (unboiled) eggs with dish soap and water and pat them dry before dyeing them.
Some people make a hole in each end of the egg and blow out the raw inside eggs before decorating. Then, they gently decorate the remaining shells.
Can you dye eggs with just food coloring?
How to dye boiled eggs with food coloring is pretty simple (and the most traditional way). Vinegar and food coloring make the best recipe for dying Easter eggs.
But, do you need do you need vinegar to dye Easter eggs?
According to Education.com, here is the science behind why we use vinegar to dye eggs:
Food coloring is an acid dye. It bonds using hydrogen, and this chemical process only works in an acidic environment.
When you add vinegar to water, it creates ideal conditions for food coloring to dye the egg. Since eggs are made out of calcium carbonate, this calcium in the shell reacts with the acid in the vinegar to make carbon dioxide.
If you place an egg in vinegar and water, you can often see that chemical reaction taking place as bubbles of carbon dioxide form in the liquid.
So, you’re going to get better results using the chemical reaction of vinegar and food coloring than just food coloring alone.
However, you can color Easter eggs with just food coloring and water.
The eggs will be much lighter and more pastel looking.
How To Dye Eggs With Food Coloring
This traditional egg dye method is a one of the most simple egg decorating ideas (but it can get messy!).
Directions for Coloring Easter Eggs with Vinegar and Food Coloring
You’ll need:
- Dozen (or more eggs) (keep the egg carton for drying, or use a wire baking rack)
- 1/2 cup boiling water for each color
- 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar for each color
- Food coloring (colors of choice)
- Bowls or mugs, large enough to place an egg in (you’ll need a bowl or mug for each color that you want)
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
DIRECTIONS:
- Boil eggs and allow to air dry.
- To each mug/bowl, place a 1/2 cup boiling water, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 10-20 drops of food coloring until you reach the desired color. Repeat this for each mug/bowl.
- Allow the dye liquid in the cups to cool.
- Gently place an egg in each cup of dye color.
- Allow the egg to sit in the dye color for at least 5 minutes. The longer you allow the egg to sit in the dye, the deeper the colors will become.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the egg carton or gently on a wire baking rack to dry.
IMPORTANT: Food coloring can stain, so be sure you’ve protected clothing, tables, carpet, etc. before starting this project! We love these inexpensive aprons for kids. Also, be sure to have an entire paper towel roll handy!
PRINT HOW TO COLOR EGGS WITH FOOD COLORING DIRECTIONS HERE
EASTER EGG DECORATING TIP: Rub olive oil or coconut oil on your dyed eggs to make them shiny!
Can you dye eggs without the shell?
If you want to peel the boiled eggs and dye the egg white, you can do that, too!
This actually makes really fun deviled eggs for your party because the whites are colored. (Fun way to serve angel eggs at Easter dinner!)
Here’s how to dye peeled eggs:
- After you boil your eggs, peel them normally and rinse them.
- Mix water with 10-20 drops of food coloring.
- Drop the peeled egg into the colored water and let it sit for 1-2 hours.
- Slice the eggs and eat or use for colored deviled eggs!
While we’re here, let’s talk about paint for Easter eggs…
How To Paint Eggs
What paint do you use for Easter eggs?
The best paint for Easter eggs for kids to use is a food safe paint. Next, you can use watercolor paints. (You can use acrylic paint, but it might be messier for kids.) Using watercolors, different paint brush sizes, and even stencils can allow kids to get creative with decorating their Easter eggs!
If you want easy egg painting for toddlers or preschoolers, give them a cup of water colored with food coloring and a paint brush. VOILA! An easy egg dye paint craft and easy egg decorating ideas for toddlers!
NOTE: If you’re using watercolor paint or other art paint (non-food paint), I don’t recommend eating the colored eggs.
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Shaving Cream
If you want less of the drippy way of coloring Easter eggs, you should try coloring eggs using shaving cream for an easy egg dying method.
This is a really fun method and simple idea for an Easter activity, especially for little ones — where the vinegar-food coloring method can create a bigger mess, I think this one is one of those easy egg decorating ideas and also fun for egg decorating ideas for school or classroom.
Here’s how to color eggs with shaving cream:
- Spread unscented regular shaving cream in a large baking pan. (Head to the dollar store and grab multiple cans!)
- Dot food coloring across the top of the shaving cream. (DO NOT MIX IN!)
- Using a fork or a toothpick, swirl the colors throughout the shaving cream. (Don’t stir in.)
- Place a dried, cooled boiled egg into the shaving cream.
- Roll the egg around in the shaving cream. (You can use food gloves or sandwich baggies on your hands to keep your fingers from rubbing off the coloring. Or, use two plastic spoons to manipulate the egg around.)
- Using a plastic spoon, take the egg out of the shaving cream and place on paper plates to dry.
PRO TIP: For these easy easter egg decorating ideas, you might want to use plastic food gloves or plastic bags. The food coloring can sometimes stain.
Is it Safe to Eat Eggs Decorated with Shaving Cream?
If you are going to use the shaving cream method, I’m not sure I would recommend eating the boiled egg after. Remember, eggshells are porous, so the things that you do to the shell will eventually make it to the egg on the inside. So, I personally wouldn’t eat shaving cream colored eggs (or regular painted eggs), especially if you are letting them sit for a few days.
If you’re worried about the chemicals in the shaving cream, you can try it with whipped cream instead of shaving cream.
FREE EASTER PRINTABLE FOR KIDS
We have an awesome free Easter printable to guide you through dyeing Easter eggs NATURALLY + a COLOR YOUR EGGS coloring sheet with 6 different eggs to color!
Click HERE or on the image below to get your printable!
Have fun with your Easter celebrations, beautiful eggs, and Easter holiday kids activities!
