Whether you are looking for natural easter egg decor ideas or in need of a family friendly activity for the holiday, these homemade, low cost decor Easter eggs will not disapoint you or your kids. 
Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays and not just because of the meaning and importance it has. Growing up in Bulgaria, Easter celebrations went on for days. Traditions, kept for generations, that we, much like our Greek Orthodox neighbors religiously followed.
Decorating Easter eggs in Eastern Europe is one of those things that we take very seriously and love doing ourselves (or get our kids to do for us while we take pictures).
Here I am sharing a way of decorating Easter eggs using nature’s own ornaments: leaves, flowers and herbs. It only seems fitting celebrating Ressurection Day using greens that simbolize new beginning, life and hope, as Spring itself, after a long winter, does.
This post is all about how to do Easter Egg decor using natural herbs and leaves.
DIY Easter Egg Decor Ideas With
Herbs & Leaves
Step 1. Venture Out | Collect Leaves and Flowers for Decoration
This is one of my favorite parts of Easter. Getting out with the kids to look for leaves and flowers that would make great natural decor. Besides being a fun,family bonding opportunity you can easily turn into tradition, this is a great mindful experience for both you and your kids. It also allows children to use their creativity and immagination. As much as we love and aknowledge the beauty of nature, it is not until we conciously start comparing leaves from the same tree, that we truly appreciate its purity. So grab those baskets and let’s see what nature has to offer.
2. Prep Up The Work Area
Next up, get the work area ready. Now depending on what kind of color dye you are using this will vary. If you are to use store bought food color I would boil the eggs before we decorate. If you prefer to go all natural coloring, like using onion skins, turmeric or red cabbage leaves, you would decorate first and boil with the coloring solutions. Here is a great Martha Stewart article on How To Naturally Dye Easter Eggs.
In this case, I wanted the kids to have fun with the colors, so we used store bought food color I brought from Italy, but you can use any you can find at a store near you. You will also need hard boiled eggs, cooled in cold water after boiling (so the shell does not stick to the skin, making it easier to peal), nylon stockings, scissors and thread. Most importantly you need your little helpers and you are ready to begin the big Easter Egg decorating experience.
3. Cut Up The Stockings
Let the fun begin! Time to cut up those stockings. Since we will be wraping the eggs in them, we want to cut squares or rectangles large enough for an egg to fit in. I usually buy two pairs of nylon stockings from the local store. They don’t have to be expansive, so any brand would do. You will need as many pieces as eggs you would like to decorate. Nude, beige or tan color works best, but I had a black new one on hand so we used that. Kids don’t get the opportunity to cut up mommy’s socks or stockings every day, so this is a fun craft to do together.
4. Decorate & Wrap
For decoration feel free to use any herbs, leaves you have picked up, or small flowers. Cilantro and flat parcley leaves work great as far as herbs go, since they have varied shapes. Feel free to use multiple leaves on each egg, one on each side, or even cover it all up. Let your creativity take the lead on this one. Place the leaf on the egg then pull the stocking carefully over it, making sure to keep the herbs for folding or wrinkling. Secure the nylon with rubber bands or thread.
The kids didn’t have issues securing the larger leaves, but if you are using smaller pieces you may find it easier to dampen the egg, the leaf or both to make sure they don’t fold or wrinkle. When we made these I really just anted the boys to enjoy the experience regardless of the results, but if you are making those for a party or a family get together, you may want to make certain that leaves are not wrinkled as to not let color seep under it. I personally find the element of surprise with this type of stenciled Easter eggs, very exciting. They always come out great regardless and each of them is unique.
5. Color Wrapped Eggs
If you are using store bought color, use the instructions they come with. I let the kids have fun, by using a $1 table cover, which we discarded right after. Clean up was not a problem. Alternatevely you can opt for making your won colors using natural ingredients like turmeric, onion skins, red cabbage or beets. Another option is trying imported food coloring. If you live near a Greek, Bulgarian or Eastern European store, they are sure to carry Easter Egg colors during the season. You can also order online. The longer you keep the eggs in the coloring solution the deeper and richer the color would be. Keep in mind that ideally they should be completely submurged.
Here are some online retailers you can order from:
- Bulgarian Online Market Malincho
- Greek online market. I love their red dye.
- I also like this natural Earth Paints, Egg Dye Kit, 1 Count I found on Amazon.com
6. Final Touches – Put On The Shine
After all that hard work is time to put the final touch. Once the eggs are colored and dry us a cotton ball to rub them with a bit of oil. That would give them a very nice shine, make the colors more vibrant and highlight the stenciled herb shapes. Set aside and let dry before serving.
7. Serve With Traditional Easter Bread
You did it! You have yourself beautiful Easter eggs decorated with leaves, herbs and flowers you personally picked and placed. Traditionally these are served with Easter bread, so you can try making your very own Bulgarian Kozunak (pictured below), a Greek Tsoureki or an Italian ring Easter bread Pane Di Pasqua. Traditionally in both Eastern and Greek Orthodox churches there has to be at least one solid red egg, simbolizing the blood shed on the cross. It is a symbol of resurection, hope and rebirth.
This post is all about natural Easter egg decor ideas using herbs, leaves and flowers you can do yourself at home.
There are many ways to decorate Easter eggs from elaborate to simple. Using nature’s own ornaments is a great way to celebrate rebirth, Spring and life. You can combine this decor with additional embelishments and stickers once the eggs are dried and shined. Feel free to make it your own and remember that there is no one way or wrong way. Just have fun and cherish the moments spent with your family. We hope you try this method and would love to see pictures of your decorated Easter eggs.
Christos Voskrese!
