Colorful Creations


Tips and ideas for making beautiful Easter eggs

Remember how much fun it was to decorate Easter eggs when you were a kid? Every orb was a blank canvas, an invitation to experiment. The final result might have been a mess or a masterpiece, but it was always immensely satisfying.

If you haven't been up to your elbows in dye and decorations for a while, you might want to try it again this year. "Making Easter eggs is a great activity for the whole family," says author-stylist Matthew Mead. "Kids will get messy and have a blast, and adults can produce intricate designs that will last for years."

Mead is the author of Easter Eggs, the definitive guide to using paint and craft supplies to put together gorgeous holiday creations. He shared with Epicurious instructions for making three of his designs, as well as tips to get you started.


Matthew Mead's Tips for Easter Egg Decorating:

Prepare Your Eggs

Most of the projects at right start with blown eggs, in which the runny contents are drained out through a tiny hole. This allows the decorated shell to be kept at room temperature indefinitely. The technique is not difficult, and instructions are given with each project. Some of the projects can be done on regular hard-boiled eggs as well, but since they'll spoil after a week, if you'll be spending a lot of time and effort on them, you'll want to use blown eggs so you can keep your creations. Once they're decorated, blown eggs can be stored in a protective container (clear egg cartons will shelter the eggs and allow you to see what's inside) in a cool, dry place.

Make It a Party

"My wife and I always decorate eggs with my stepdaughters," says Mead. "Even though the kids are in their 20s now, they still look forward to it every year." Holiday activities are a great way to bring together different generations and build traditions. Gather a group of family and friends and lay out supplies. If you like, come up with a theme for inspiration, or give prizes in different categories (wackiest, most traditional, most colorful, et cetera). To keep things interesting and foster teamwork, you can even have people switch eggs halfway through.

Express Yourself

Following Mead's instructions exactly will produce beautiful results, but they can also be used as jumping-off points for your imagination. "Don't be afraid to experiment," he says. "Provide yourself with lots of different mediums, such as paints, dyes, decals, and crayons, plus supplies like glitter, sequins, and beads to glue on top." If you have experience in a different craft such as scrapbooking or cake decorating, your skills-and even your supplies-will transfer: Cake toppers like sugar flowers and other craft techniques such as stenciling and decoupage all make great decorations for eggs.

Display Your Creations

Once you've decorated your eggs, they can be shown off in an endless number of ways. Pile them into pretty glass bowls or vases. Nestle individual eggs onto salt wells or on top of small juice or cordial glasses (add a small pile of salt or sand to keep them stable on a flat surface). String up eggs as holiday ornaments, or make them into place cards or centerpieces for the table.

Three Easter Egg Projects

For more Easter recipes and menus, check out Epicurious's Complete Easter Package

By Sarah Kagan

Matthew Mead is a stylist/producer for the magazine industry and the author of four books on crafts, decorating, and entertaining. He has created a line of ornaments for Wedgwood, and is a contributing editor for Country Home magazine. Mead lives in New Hampshire . For more information, visit www.matthewmeadstyle.com.