Coloring eggs for Easter has always been a tradition for us, as for many families. I don't know about you, but I always think it's sad that those beautiful eggs don't last. So when I found fake eggs that didn't open to put goodies inside, but to dye into permanent colors, of course I grabbed them.
Well ... they don't dye very well. But they do take paint very well!
I keep thinking I'll paint some delicately and prettily and use them ... for decoration, I guess, but I haven't done that yet. This year, I had a moment of inspiration when my granddaughter wanted to paint and reached for a white egg.
Of course! Perfect! Colored eggs that will last through the years, with the additional benefit of saving those precious childhood memories!
You could use tempera or watercolor so they're more easily washable, but I suggest craft acrylics, which are super inexpensive. Just be sure to wrap little one in a smock or paint shirt and protect surrounding surfaces. Once it's dry, it's there. And they dry fast.
I started by giving her the white eggs and dabbing a couple of colors of paint into a disposable container (only a few drops will work). She started with a brush and then decided finger-painting was more fun.
She did two each of three color mixes, to give me half a dozen pretty little keepsake art eggs, as seen above. Yes, that is completely her work.
We did these over two sittings because three at a time seemed to be enough for this barely two-year-old. Be sure to keep it fun for the little one! Choose their colors or let them choose their colors. Mix and match and play around with them. (The eggs are super cheap, also.)
And then I had to experiment and paint a base coat on another six eggs before I handed them over to my little artist. You may need 2-3 coats to get a non-streaky base coat depending on your paint. A tip: toilet paper rolls work great to hold them while one half dries before turning them to paint the other half.
After they were fully dry, I took them outside and propped them up in a non-windy spot and sprayed them with acrylic sealant. You can use matte or glossy, whichever you prefer. I used semi-gloss. The white eggs absorbed it without taking the shine, although the paint has a sheen to it, but the fully painted eggs have a nice shine without being glossy.
I sent a dozen, 6 white and 6 painted, to my grandson, also, and I look forward to see what he comes up with. :-) I sent them too late to have them back for this post, but I may have to update. I put baby girl's initials and the year on the bottom with an ultra fine Sharpie so I can tell them apart in later years. I may make this a yearly tradition, as well.
If you want to hang the finished eggs, you could always find little hooks that can be hot-glued to the tips. I may do that when I get back to the craft store and use them on an indoor Easter Egg Tree. (I'll keep my plastic snap eggs outside instead so I don't risk losing these.)
Yes, we'll still color the real eggs, too. I won't mind as much not being able to keep all of those pretty eggs now that I have keepsake sets.
Do you have any Easter or spring crafts for little ones to share? I'm always looking for guest posts.
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LK Hunsaker has been artsy since she can remember, fueled by a lot of artsy family members. She also writes fiction.
LKHunsaker.com
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