If you've never decorated an Easter egg before, then you may not know the first and most important step: Cook the eggs. If you try working with a raw egg (especially if kids are involved), then there's a lot of potential for a really big mess. Easter eggs should be hard boiled so that they are more sturdy while you're decorating. This also makes them great snacks for later! Eat them with toast for breakfast the next day or use them to make deviled eggs for dinner after everyone has enjoyed how pretty they are. Just be sure to keep them refrigerated once they're cooked if you intend on eating them later.

One of the most traditional ways to decorate Easter eggs is by dipping them in food dye. This gives them the quintessential pastel color that goes with spring and Easter. You can dip the egg lower and lower in stages to get an ombré effect, sink the whole egg in for one color, or dip the top in one color and the bottom in another for a fun mismatched look. The key to coloring eggs with dye is using vinegar. Without the vinegar, the color won't be able to penetrate the shell of the egg. 

Here's a good recipe to follow when creating the dye solution for your eggs: 

3/4 Cup of Water

1 teaspoon of Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon of Food Coloring

Want something as easy as dropping the eggs in cups of dye, but also want a little bit of visual interest? Try the string trick! Take a long piece of string and wrap it tightly several times around the center of your egg. Then, gently drop it into the dye and let it sit there until it's reached the desired color. Take the egg out of the dye and let it dry before removing the string. When you do take the string off, you'll have white lines crisscrossing and decorating the center of your egg. 

This is a really fun method for the kids! Soak the eggs in vinegar first. While they're soaking, spray shaving cream into a 9x13" baking sheet. Smooth the shaving cream out with a spatula, then sprinkle drops of a couple different colors of food coloring (like green and blue) onto the top. Swirl the colors around until you end up with a good marble effect in the shaving cream. Now, let the kiddos grab the eggs and roll them around in the shaving cream with their fingers. Once they're happy with the color, just set the eggs aside to dry for 20 minutes and then rinse them off. It's super fun and easy!

When you're dying eggs, it's important to have a good place to let them dry. If you just set them on a paper towel, they could stick and end up with paper towel ripped off on one side. Or the dye/paint could rub off on that side and leave you with a bald spot. Instead, push some pins halfway into a block of foam (or very small nails into a board) and stand the eggs up on the tips of the pins (or nails) while they're drying. This will help protect the eggs' decorations from getting ruined while they dry. 

If you're new to the Lake of the Ozarks, there are several wonderful activities and places to enjoy on Easter weekend... Easter brunches, Easter Egg Hunts, restaurant specials, and more. Check out the Lake of the Ozarks CVB events calendar to find the perfect event near you! And, as you settle into your new home or vacation property, be sure to keep John Elliott Interiors in mind for all your home design needs. We are here for you!