Cool Easter Egg Designs — No Messy Dye Needed!

This year, make the whole process of Easter egg decorating fast (and fun!) by skipping complicated dyeing techniques and perking up eggs with temporary tattoos, lace, rhinestones and more. We rounded up our favorite cool Easter egg designs that are sure to wow! Simply gather your decorating supplies, eggs and your little helpers (both young and young at heart), then read on for the easy how-to’s.

Note of caution: If you decide to make the below designs using hard-boiled eggs, it is recommended that you avoid consuming the eggs since some of the designs are made with inedible items that can leach into or contaminate the cooked egg inside.

Get the look of dyed eggs — without the mess

If you want your eggs to have a little color before decorating them with the designs below, skip dyeing and give them a vibrant look by brushing your eggs (raw, hand-blown, wooden or plastic decorating eggs) with a little craft paint. Simply dip a paintbrush in colorful craft paint, then brush paint onto egg one coat at a time until your desired look is achieved; let dry fully.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #1: Floral decoupage

Cool easter egg designs: Two eggs decoupaged eggs decorated with floral-patterned paper napkins and rhinestones — HBB

All it takes are a few pretty paper napkins from the party store to create eye-catching floral egg masterpieces! To make, simply separate the top sheet from a 2-ply floral-printed paper napkin. Cut out a single motif, like a flower or leaf, that’s 1 to 2 inches wide. Dip a paint brush in school glue and brush glue onto an area of an egg that’s slightly larger than the motif. Smooth the motif onto the area, then brush another coat of glue on top. Let dry about 15 minutes, then add another motif using the same steps, slightly overlapping the new motif over the first one.

Tip: If you work on several eggs at a time, you can go from one to the next without waiting for each layer to dry. When eggs are dry, use a dab of school glue to apply flat-back crystals from the craft store to the flower motifs’ centers.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #2: Speckled sponge-painted

Cool Easter egg designs: Five Easter eggs decorated with speckled paint in various colors — Anna Kurzaeva/Getty

To give eggs a spectacular speckled look, lifestyle and DIY expert Siobhan Alvarez-Borland, founder of Mimosas and Motherhood, suggests cutting sponges into strips, then dipping them into different colors of craft paint. “It makes it easy for little hands to gently dab colors onto their eggs,” she says. Dab eggs with the sponge pieces until desired look is achieved, then let eggs dry.

Related: 15 Brilliant Uses for Sponges

Cool Easter egg designs idea #3: Bejeweled

Cool Easter egg designs: Four colorful Easter eggs decorated with rhinestone flowers and displayed in a white basket on grass — HBB

Looking to dress up your eggs with a little glitzy pizzazz? Try creating beautiful floral designs on eggs with adhesive-backed rhinestones. To do: Use a pencil to draw a flower design onto a painted egg, then place sticky-backed rhinestones onto egg in desired pattern to create a sparkling floral flourish.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #4: Ribbon-tied

Cool Easter egg designs: Three pink and orange Easter eggs decorated with gold ribbon, faux pearl trim and faux pearls — HBB

All it takes is a little ribbon and faux pearls to elevate eggs with elegant flair. To make each, hot-glue cut-to-fit pieces of thin gold ribbon or trim in vertical and horizontal patterns around painted eggs, as shown. Next, wrap cut-to-fit pieces of faux pearl trim or thin velvet ribbon around eggs for added dimension and texture. To finish, glue faux pearls or small gold embellishments onto sides or ends of eggs where ribbons overlap.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #5: Lace-kissed

Cool Easter egg designs: Three colorful Easter eggs wrapped in lace and tied with ribbon — HBB

These dainty, lace-wrapped eggs make perfect plate topper parcels for your Easter gathering! To make each, lay a 6” square of lace (cut from discount fabric!) on your table. Next, set a painted egg in the center of lace, then bring lace edges up and around the egg, cinching excess fabric together at the top; secure excess fabric by tying with a rubber band. To finish, tie a length of pastel-hued satin ribbon into a bow around rubber band, then glue on a craft-store mini silk flower or a rhinestone onto bow to finish.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #6: Glitter

Cool Easter egg designs: Three purple and blue Easter eggs decorated with glitter and displayed in an egg carton — mikroman6/Getty

One of the simplest ways to make eggs spectacular? Dressing them up with a little glitter, says Alvarez-Borland. “For a different look, drizzle glue over the [painted] eggs and allow your little ones to sprinkle on some colorful glitter, then let them dry,” she says. Also smart: Try brushing glue all over eggs, then roll in a paper plate filled with loose glitter; let dry.

Cool easter egg designs idea #7: Tattooed eggs

Cool Easter egg designs: Plain un-dyed Easter eggs decorated with bunny temporary tattoos and displayed on a feather-filled tray — noHut Photography/Getty

Move over, kids’ parties: Temporary tattoos are now hot for Easter eggs. The intricate designs and illustrations of the tattoos make for artful-looking eggs and take just seconds to apply. To make, simply pick up a pack of Easter-themed “waterslide” tattoos from the party or craft store. For each egg, remove plastic backing from tattoo and smooth the tattoo paper design-side-down onto egg. Dampen tattoo paper with a wet paper towel and hold in place for 10 seconds; remove toweling and tattoo paper to reveal a fun design on your egg.

Cool Easter egg designs idea #8: Chalkboard

Cool Easter egg designs: Five Easter eggs painted with black chalkboard paint and decorated with chalk designs — puhimec/Getty

These chalkboard-painted pretties bring all the fun of drawing on a chalkboard to your Easter eggs. Plus, you can simply wipe off your chalk designs with a damp cloth, let dry, then draw on new chalk designs for a different look. To make, brush two coats of black chalkboard paint (available at craft stores) onto eggs, allowing drying time after each coat. Once eggs are fully dry, use chalk or a chalk marker to draw fun patterns and designs onto eggs, like dots, flowers, stripes, triangles and more.