Easter is the one time of year when you'll have an excuse to go crazy decorating hard boiled eggs, so why not go all out? This page will provide you with tips and tricks on coloring and decorating Easter eggs—from the basics to the complex!

Even if you're using an Easter egg coloring kit, like Pas, there are several ways you can make unique and beautiful Easter eggs. There are Easter egg coloring techniques to give the eggs a marbled effect, sponge painted effect or even a tie die look.

Easter eggs can be colored with food coloring tabs that can be dropped in water or vinegar, food coloring dye or can be colored with natural dyes. Some even skip the food coloring process and use paints, but be aware if you're not using a food coloring, you can't eat the eggs as other paints can be toxic.http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/holiday_eastereggs.htm

1. Hard boil 'em: First things first: before you dye your eggs, you'll want to hard boil them. This is very simple; just head over to Mahalo's guide to How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs to learn how!
2. Wash your hands: Keeping your hands clean will help ensure your eggs are dyed evenly.
3. Get a kit: You can always invest in an egg decorating kit that provides you with all sorts of fun tools to make your own crazy designs!
4. Cover your dyeing area with paper towels or newspaper: This can help you avoid the mess.
5. Grab some cups: Each color will get its own cup, so you'll need as many cups as colors!
   • Size is a factor so that the eggs can fit. Most coffee cups should work just fine. A shot glass, not so much.
6. Don't fill the cups all the way: Because of a little scientific law called displacement, dipping an egg in a full cup will cause it to overflow.
   • You'll want to fill it just enough that the egg will be completely submerged without spilling.
   • Use warm water instead of cold.
7. Add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar to each cup: You could just dunk your eggs in water and food coloring, but adding some vinegar will help the dye stick.
   • You can also rub the eggs in vinegar first.
8. Add dye or food coloring: Food coloring is a cheap and simple way to color eggs.
   • You can also use dye found in the egg coloring kits mentioned in tip #3.
9. Dip the eggs carefully: Keep in mind that it's pretty easy to crack an eggshell, so just plopping them into the cup isn't the best idea.
   • Place them in the cup gently and not only will the shell stay intact, you won't have any messy, colorful splashes.
10. Let them sit: The longer your eggs soak in the dye, the darker and more robust the color will be.
11. Check on them from time to time. Every few minutes, pull the egg out of the dye to see how far along it is. This way you can get the exact shade of color you're looking for.
12. Use a wire instead of a spoon: Many egg coloring kits include a specially made wire for holding eggs. These add control and ease when dipping and removing them.
13. Avoid the mess: The eggs will be dripping with dye when you take them out of the cup; Lay them on a paper towel to dry, or place them back in the egg carton.
14. Rubber bands or stickers can be used as stencils: Wrapping your eggs in rubber bands or placing stickers on before dying can add a new dimension of design.
    • Dye the egg in one color, then let it dry. Remove the rubber bands/stickers and dip into a new color.
15. Use crayon right on the eggshell: If you draw with a crayon on a freshly-boiled warm egg, it melts on, allowing you to make any number of drawings and patterns.
    • The crayon wax will also repel the dye, so your design will remain even if you color the egg afterwards!
16. Add fancy embellishments: Stickers, glitter, and all sorts of other art crafts can be used to kick your Easter eggs up a notch.
17. Marbleize: By adding oil to your cup of dye and quickly dipping your egg in and out, you can create a cool marbling effect.
18. Improvise: Try coming up with your own ideas for cool egg patterns, too, like using rubber cement or sponges to decorate.
19. Be all-natural: Using household food items, you can make natural egg dye and have a green Easter.
20. Blowing raw eggs allows you to save them without spoiling: If you decorate raw eggs, you can use a pin to poke holes in the ends and remove the insides with an egg blower.

• Mental Floss: 6 Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs (March 18, 2008)

• Google Product Search: Easter Egg Kits

• ExpertVillage: How to Dye & Decorate Easter Eggs

• MarthaStewart.com: Decorating Easter Eggs

• FamilyFun: Easter Egg Coloring & Decorating

• Free Stuff 4 Kids: 13 Creative Ways to Dye and Decorate Easter Eggs (March 6, 2008)

• YouTube: How to Make Easter Eggs (Time: 1:26)

• AmazingMoms.com: Easter Egg Coloring for Kids

• Fabulous Foods: Easter Eggs

• Green Living Online: Natural Dye for Easter Eggs (March 18, 2008)

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