Holidays & Entertaining Holidays 14 Unique Easter Egg Designs That Will Let You Ditch the Boring Dye Kit A beautifully painted Easter egg can be a work of art. Will your masterpiece be modern, whimsical, or something in between? By Sarah Yang Sarah Yang Sarah Yang is the Lifestyle Editor of RealSimple.com, where she covers everything from home and entertaining, to technology and pop culture. Originally from Pasadena, California, she’s always on the hunt for the best tacos and In-N-Out wannabes in New York City. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @sarahayang. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 27, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: aliceandlois.com Easter egg designs don't have to be monochromatic and boring: These unique Easter egg ideas prove that leaving the dye kits at the store can lead to more interesting, creative Easter eggs. Whether you're looking to fill an adult Easter basket or you want the kids to wake up to a more creative Easter egg spread, these cool Easter egg designs have all the inspiration you need. From a marbled option to an ombre one, these decorated eggs follow the trends—and they're not as difficult to decorate as you might think. Some of these Easter egg designs do require permanent marker and other toxic supplies, so plan to decorate these eggs and keep them as decor; eating them after they're decorated isn't an option. Between sharing Easter quotes and putting together Easter baskets, set aside time to pick your favorite egg designs. When your decorated Easter eggs are the prettiest around, you'll be grateful that you made the extra effort, especially if you're already pretty crafty. And if you're not, never fear: We have more traditional Easter egg ideas, too. 01 of 14 Marbled Indigo Eggs Alice & Lois Marble is definitely having a moment in home decor, so why not apply it to your Easter eggs? The deep indigo makes each egg pattern reminiscent of shibori (a Japanese tie-dye technique), so it's even more on-trend. When you're dyeing the eggs, each design comes out differently, which makes it perfect if you mess up the first couple of times. All you need is water and blue nail polish to create the swirly look. Photo and idea from Alice & Lois. See the how-to here. 02 of 14 Painterly Eggs Paper & Stich These artsy eggs will remind you of a Post-Impressionist painting with their brushstroke designs. You can have your pick of any color palette, but pretty and bright pastel acrylic paints (like the ones used in the photo) are perfect for spring and will cheer up your Easter brunch or dinner table. Photo and idea from Paper & Stitch. See the how-to here. 03 of 14 Black and White Graphic Eggs Earnest Home Co. Modern design fans, these black and white Easter eggs with graphic, geometric designs were made for you. Hollow out the uncooked egg with a pushpin first. Once the egg is hollow and clean, use a pencil to sketch the pattern and fill in with the black marker. Photo and idea from Earnest Home Co. See the how-to here. 04 of 14 Natural Easter Eggs Heather Murphy This idea works best on brown eggs, so the whiteness of the chalk really stands out. And since the marker might take a while to dry, if you're creating a design for the whole egg, start with the top first, let dry, and then doodle the rest. Photo and idea from We Can Make Anything. See the how-to here. 05 of 14 Fruit and Veggie Eggs Brit + Co. For a whimsical take on Easter eggs, why not transform them into "fruit?" You'll need acrylic paint in various colors, green cardstock, and a black permanent marker. Paint the eggs to match the color of the fruits and veggies of your choice and use the cardstock to create stems or leaves to glue to the eggs. Add any accents (like seeds) with permanent marker. Photo and idea from Brit + Co. See the how-to here. 06 of 14 Washi Tape Eggs Lovely Indeed If you don't want to deal with the dye or paint of Easter egg coloring, washi tape still provides an artful design without the mess. Play around with different washi tape patterns and how you apply them to the eggs—like stripes, a confetti look, or polka dots. Photo and idea from Lovely Indeed. See the how-to here. 07 of 14 Botanical Easter Eggs Trisha Zemp Instead of using real eggs, Brittany of The House That Lars Built suggests using papier-mâché eggs for these designs so you don't have to worry about cracks—plus you can use them the next year, too (and you'll skip the hassle of boiling Easter eggs). Paint the eggs first with black acrylic paint, trace flower designs with a pencil, and then paint over with your favorite colors. And don't worry if you don't consider yourself an artist: You can go as intricate or as simple as you want with these. Photo and idea from The House That Lars Built. See the how-to here. 08 of 14 Galaxy Eggs Dream a Little Bigger Surprise your Easter guests by displaying these otherworldly eggs on your dining table. It looks complicated, but this idea is all about layers and patience. You'll want to use fake eggs and paint them black—or use chalkboard ones that are already in that hue. Use a sponge brush to dab and layer different colors—think blues, purples, and even a hint of gold—on the egg, starting from the darkest to the lightest shade. Then speckle white paint onto the egg for the "stars." Photo and idea from Dream a Little Bigger. See the how-to here. 09 of 14 Silk Tie Eggs Boulder Locavore Believe it or not, old silk ties are the main ingredients for these intricate-looking eggs. You'll want to use neckties made of 100 percent silk because they are able to transfer pigment easier. The rest of the materials needed are muslin, cotton string, and hot water and vinegar to boil the eggs in. Photo and idea from Boulder Locavore. See the how-to here. 10 of 14 Confetti-Dipped Eggs Studio DIY Go glam this Easter with confetti eggs. After you paint the eggs in the colors of your choice and let dry, apply Mod Podge to part of the egg, sprinkle confetti on it, and let dry again. These eggs would look great in the middle of the dining table as a centerpiece or displayed in a basket on a buffet table. Photo and idea from Studio DIY. See the how-to here. 11 of 14 Watercolor Floral Eggs Dream a Little Bigger Dreamy and unique, these abstract watercolor eggs are a work of art. Use food dye and a little bit of water to lightly paint flowers on the fake eggs—layer as you go to create some texture on the bloom designs. Once the dye is dried, outline the flowers and leaves with a thin black permanent marker. Photo and idea from Dream a Little Bigger. See the how-to here. 12 of 14 Tissue Paper Confetti Eggs Brit + Co. Take the traditional decoupage technique and use it on your Easter eggs—it's a fun project for kids and adults. Cut small squares from different colored tissue papers and mix a little bit of Mod Podge and water together. Layer the confetti one piece at a time with the Mod Podge mixture and cover the entire egg. Let dry and display in a basket or in porcelain egg cups. Photo and idea from Brit+Co. See the how-to here. 13 of 14 Typography Eggs Lovely Indeed Here's a way to really send a message (literally) with your Easter eggs. If you have a Cricut machine, you can use it to print and cut out letters from adhesive or contact paper. If you don't have one, you can use letter stickers for a similar effect. Use tweezers to place the letters on the already-dyed eggs. Photo and idea from Lovely Indeed. See the how-to here. 14 of 14 Ombré Eggs The Crafted Life It's easy to give your Easter eggs the ombre effect in just minutes. Hard-boil or hollow out your eggs and place them upside down in the original carton, so the larger end is facing up. Lightly cover the eggs with spray paint, but be careful because if you spray too much, any excess paint will drip down the egg, ruining the effect. Let dry and voilà! Photo and idea from The Crafted Life. See the how-to here. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit