Decorate your own Easter eggs

These eggs make a lovely Easter table decoration. Duck eggs have smoother shells than hen’s eggs and are tougher, so you can be a bit more heavy-handed with them, but any eggs will do for this project.

You will need

• Raw duck eggs (or hen’s eggs)
• A pin (one with a large head works best so you can grip it)
• A bowl

Some or all of the following:

• Greaseproof paper
• Spray paint from a DIY store (You can get some fantastic metallic colours)
• Emulsion or enamel paint
• Paintbrush
• Washi tape (a special kind of Japanese coloured masking tape)
• Scissors
• Decorative paper napkins
• PVA glue
• A selection of Sharpie pens (metallic ones work brilliantly)

Prepare your eggs

Step 1

Thoroughly wash the eggs. Then, using your pin, push a hole through both ends of each egg. The holes need to measure 2-3mm across, so wiggle the pin around a bit until they’re the right size.

Step 2

Take an egg and, making sure you are resting it over a bowl, purse your lips around one of the holes and blow until the contents are all in the bowl. It may take a little while, and you might need to take a break to catch your breath if you are doing several eggs. Use the pin if need be, to widen the hole slightly. Don’t get any raw egg in your mouth.

Step 3

Rinse the eggs under cold water to clean them. Let them dry.

Decorating the eggs

Once the clean eggs are dry, you need to decorate them. Here are some options:

Spray paint Lay eggs out on some greaseproof paper and carefully spray them from about 40cm away. Once the paint is dry, roll the egg over to paint the other side.

Brush and paint Emulsion or enamel paint should work well. You could use tester paint pots, or any paint you have left over at home.

Washi tape Combining painting with washi tape works well. You just need to paint the eggs first then, once it’s dried, add the washi tape on top. Cut shapes from the tape and stick straight onto the eggs. You can find washi tape online: I used glittery tape stocked at The Makery.

Paper napkins These make great découpage. Separate the layers of the napkin so you’re left with the thin top (printed) layer only. Cut small shapes from the top layer, no more than about 2 x 2cm.

Paste some PVA glue onto the egg, then carefully stick the napkin pieces on top. Once the glue has dried, you can add another layer of glue to add a sheen.

Sharpie marker pens If you’re feeling extra creative, you can draw straight onto the eggs using Sharpie pens. Or you could combine this technique with any of the above – drawing on top of the paint, tape or napkin. You could write people’s names and use them as name places for a special lunch. Or you could draw polka dots or stripes. Whatever takes your fancy!

Get ideas for creating Easter egg hunts for children

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