Coloring Easter eggs is one of the activities children enjoy most about the Easter holiday; that and eating the candy in their baskets. Some parents have problems coming up with Easter egg coloring and decoration ideas. You can try some of these ideas to get you started.

How to dye eggs

It’s not unusual for families to purchase the egg dye kits from the store. Did you know you can dye whole eggs or blow them out and dye them? Whole eggs are good for those that enjoy eating them, but if you want to make a decoration out of them and keep them, you’ll want to blow them out.

If you decide to blow out the eggs, you’ll want to put a pin in the small end of the egg and a little larger hole (about one-quarter inch) in the opposite end. Carefully blow the contents of the egg into a bowl. Rinse the empty shell with hot water to remove any residual egg.

Next, very carefully immerse the shell into very hot water for a minimum of ten seconds. This will strengthen the inner lining of the egg and sterilize the egg. You can place the blown-out egg into pre-made dye or paint them. Set them into an empty egg container to dry. Be careful, however, as they are delicate and may break easily.

For whole eggs, boil them to the hard boiled stage, about 15 minutes. Prepare the dye according to the package directions. If you’d like the white to show on part of the egg, draw on the egg with crayon such as writing a name on it. Then place the eggs into the dye and leave them to get the desired color. Dip them out and place them in an empty egg carton to dry.

How to decorate eggs

There are so many ways you can decorate eggs. Part of the decorating begins when you dye the eggs, particularly if you use the tie dye method of wrapping rubber bands around the egg before dying it. However, you can also add stickers, use colored markers, or glue on ribbon or other embellishments.

If you’re decorating blown-out eggs, for safety’s sake it is better if an adult uses a glue gun to glue on ribbon, beads, or sequins. Paint craft glue onto a blown-out egg and then place small pieces of torn tissue paper onto the egg. When it has dried properly, paint another layer over the top to protect the egg.

Whole eggs which are meant to be eaten can be decorated in a number of ways, too. You can dye them and then place stickers on them. You can also use markers which are made with edible food coloring. Remember, if you’re going to eat the eggs, you want to use things that are safe.

You may want to try some of these Easter egg coloring and decoration ideas this year when you dye eggs. Be sure to let your children help and you may be surprised by what they make. Don’t forget to take pictures to remember the day by, and so you can remember their wonderful creations.