Q&A for How to Decorate Easter Eggs

The judges in Easter egg competitions are often impressed with precise pictures. They are also impressed by cute or unique designs as well. Avoid using egg-painting kits that you'd find in a grocery store, however.

You can use another silk material. It just needs to be silk.

Yes, you can use Sharpies. The metallic Sharpies on a solid color of dye produce a gorgeous effect. Try adding it before and after to find the best effect, as the dye color and pattern will affect its outcome. However, usually adding after makes the best sense.

A silk tie works best, but you can use another silk piece of fabric. Polyester, which can sometimes look and feel similar to silk, won't work.

Yes, you can color them with a store bought kit, you could paint them, use stickers, markers, string, and more. Get creative, and you can decorate them with almost anything

While it is probably safe, it doesn't work very well because the surface doesn't bind to the gel, and if just goes all smeary. So, it's best not to.

Watercolor will not work well. Try using food coloring: one drop of liquid food coloring and 2.5 tbsp of water.

You can use the the thin paintbrush for intricate designs, like geometric patterns.

This will depend how dark you want it. It takes just a few seconds to dip an egg into water that has food coloring in it.

No, you should not eat them once they have been painted.

You can "blow out" an egg to create an empty eggshell. Here is an article that tells you how to do it: http://www.wikihow.com/Blow-Out-Eggs

Yes, by using 4 tea bags per cup of water. Make your tea, place in the boiled eggs, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and refrigerate overnight. You can also use a very strong cup of coffee; boil the eggs, place in coffee add 3 teaspoons of vinegar and refrigerate. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye in both recipes, the darker the eggs will be.

Paint as much as you can, allow it to dry, then paint the rest.

Because acrylic paint is generally toxic. This means that it is harmful to your body and can potentially kill you.

You can, you just can't eat the eggs afterwards because paint is toxic.

If stored in a refrigerator at 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, raw whole eggs in their shells will usually last four to five weeks beyond the pack date, or about three weeks after purchase. You can keep slightly beaten raw whole eggs for up two days, raw egg whites up to four days and raw egg yolks up to two days.

You can use cooled hard boiled eggs, but these should stay in the fridge after dyeing if you plan to eat them. Alternatively, you can pierce a hole at either end and blow out the contents; make scrambled eggs and use the shells, though you must be careful because they're fragile. You can also dye raw eggs.

Bunnies, chicks, and other baby animals are ideal designs for Easter eggs.