DIY Painted Easter Eggs

Easter is right around the corner! Not only is it time to plan the ultimate Easter egg hunt, it’s fun to think of ways that eggs can take center stage in your Easter basket, your Easter centerpiece, and even the Easter treats you gift to friends and family. Personalize your eggs this year with patterns and designs that bring abstract modern style home. You can even order affordable wooden eggs that take the boiling and dyeing out of the process! Read on and learn how to create your own DIY painted Easter eggs…

*Photos and styling by Kate Simmons for Decoist

Project Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

real or faux eggs (I ordered these painted wooden eggs from Amazon)
craft paint in a variety of colors
paintbrushes
food coloring or Easter egg dye (if you plan on dyeing real eggs)
aluminum foil

As mentioned, you can dye your own real eggs or purchase faux eggs that have been pre-painted in solid colors. If you’re looking to simplify the process or you simply want to create eggs that can last year after year, the faux egg option is budget-friendly, and the wooden variety creates a realistic finished product.

Be sure you purchase a quality craft paint. Small bottles of acrylic paint can be found in craft stores, and while it may be tempting to go with the cheapest option, it’s better to buy a thick paint that will get the job done. Unless you want to apply multiple layers of paint! Consider opting for acrylic paint with a glossy finish so there’s a polished quality to your design.

Time to Paint!

Now it’s the fun part! Once your eggs have been dyed (or your faux eggs are ready to go), you can create a series of designs using your paintbrush. Got a wobbly egg that won’t stay put? Use a slightly crinkled piece of aluminum foil to steady the egg while you paint. The textured surface of the foil will keep the egg from rolling as you work.

For my first Easter egg, I added dashes and dots. Another word for those white dash-like lines: sprinkles! Because who doesn’t love sprinkles for Easter?! The dots on all of today’s featured eggs were created by dipping the plastic end of the paintbrush in the paint, then dabbing the egg to deposit the paint in a tiny circle.

As you can see above and below, my other egg designs involved a combination of macaroni-like curves along with circles/dots. These couldn’t have been more fun to create, and since I used faux wooden eggs with a painted finish, any mistakes I made easily wiped off the surface of the egg so I could start again!

If you want to paint the entire egg rather than the side facing up, simply wait for the top side to dry, then roll the egg over and complete the design. While I enjoy displaying my eggs in a basket or a modern bowl, the possibilities are endless. Don’t forget the Easter grass! I opted for a combination of yellow and bright pink.