Inexpensive Easter Egg Alternatives to Dye or Decorate

Egg prices are still pretty high, and even if you do find eggs at a reasonable price at the grocery store, many are limiting buyers to one dozen per customer. If you want to carry on the tradition of decorating eggs this year, why not save those precious eggs for cooking and try one of these fun alternatives? Plus, when you decorate wooden, plastic or even cardboard eggs, you can use them year after year. And there’s no chance of discovering an unfound rotten egg behind the couch long after Easter ends.

Decorate balloons to look like Easter eggs

Kids will love drawing on balloons to create designs on “eggs.” Use regular balloons to make giant-size eggs (dinosaur eggs for dino-loving kiddos) or water balloons for smaller ones. These are easy! Just blow up and tie off the balloons and then let the kids draw designs on the balloons with soft-tipped markers. You can use these for an Easter egg hunt, décor around the house or just for play.

Pro parent tip: For little hands, tape the balloon to the workspace with painter’s tape to hold it steady.

Decorate cardboard eggs

These cardboard eggs from Oriental Trading are perfect for decorating. They even come apart like plastic eggs so that the Easter Bunny can hide treats inside for the egg hunt. Decorate these eggs with paint, glitter, markers or whatever your kids fancy.

Decorate wooden eggs

Decorated wooden eggs make beautiful décor and are great for an egg hunt. You can purchase wooden eggs in either unfinished or pre-painted white. We prefer the unfinished version because they take on paint really well, especially watercolors. Try liquid watercolors for vibrant colors. If your kids are more likely to decorate by drawing on eggs or adding stickers, the white ones are nice, because the base color is already there. With both types, think outside of the paint box. Try gluing on pompoms, glitter, ribbon and more.

Create glitter eggs

Who doesn’t love a bit of bling? The Juggling Act Mama suggests covering wooden, cardboard or even plastic eggs with glitter. With wood or cardboard, you will want to paint the eggs first and allow them to dry completely. Then, cover with glue and roll in a bowl of glitter. For plastic eggs, glue the two halves shut first, then choose a glitter color that coordinates with the color of the egg.

Pro parent tip: Once the eggs are completely dry, an adult can seal these with a clear sealant like Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic spray to keep the glitter on the eggs.

Dye marshmallows instead of eggs

Whether you want to save money on real eggs or you have an egg allergy in the family, jumbo marshmallows dye very well with food coloring. You can use a muffin tin to set up several dye baths at once or use shallow bowls. Dilute the food color with some water and let the kids dip the marshmallows into the dye. They can make two-colored ones by dipping half in one color and the other side in a different color. Or create a tie-dye effect by dipping cotton balls in the dye, then dab color onto the marshmallows. You can make this easier for little hands by spearing the marshmallows on toothpicks or even forks for kiddos to hold while dipping. But be careful not to leave them in the dye too long or they will dissolve. After dipping, allow the marshmallows to dry on a nonabsorbent surface like wax paper.

Make string egg sculptures

Older kids can make these super-cool string egg sculptures with yarn and glue found on the Activities for Kids blog. Make large eggs with regular balloons or smaller ones with water balloons. Dip the string in watered-down glue, then wrap it around the balloon. Let dry on wax paper. This will take at least 24 hours and possibly more depending on the amount of glue used, so plan ahead. Once the glue is completely dry, pop the balloon and remove it to reveal an egg-shaped sculpture. For a little bling, sprinkle glitter over the string-covered balloon before it dries.

Dye small white potatoes

Have you seen the memes about kids having to dye potatoes instead of eggs this year? All joking aside, potatoes are a great alternative egg option! Small new potatoes take on dye really well and although not really egg-shaped, dyed potatoes will look pretty in a basket, hidden on Easter morning and — as long as you use food-safe dyes — eaten!

Plastic speckled eggs

A great way to upcycle plastic Easter eggs is by painting them. Chalk paint (a type of paint often used on furniture) sticks to plastic and comes in lovely, muted colors. After a parent or kid paints the eggs with chalk paint, let them dry completely. Then you can create “speckles” by flicking brown or black acrylic paint onto the eggs. You can do this in two ways: Using a wide artist’s brush, dip the bristles very lightly in paint. Hold the brush vertically in front of the egg, bristles up, and then run a finger across the bristles toward you to splatter the egg. Or use an old toothbrush dipped in paint then hold it over the egg, bristles facing down, and tap the toothbrush with your other hand to splatter paint. Try splattering paint on scrap paper first to get the hang of it.

Pro parent tip: Create your own “splash guard” by setting a cardboard box on its side and placing the egg to be painted on the bottom flap. Any stray splatters will land in the box. This is messy, so be sure to protect the table surface and wear an apron.

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