Have you ever tried to make crayon resist dye easter eggs with your kids? This easy technique allows you to be really creative with your designs, and it’s fun activity for all ages. By simply using a white crayon to draw your designs before dyeing the eggs, you’ll unveil a hidden surprise as the colors reveal your unique creations. Your kids will think it’s magic. In this post, we’ll guide you through the steps to make your own crayon resist Easter eggs.
What is the (wax) crayon resist method?
In wax resist dyeing, melted wax (in our case, crayon) is applied to a surface before being dipped in dye. Wherever the wax is on the surface, the dye will not penetrate.
When we draw with white crayon on our white eggs, and then dip the eggs in colorful dye, the dye will not penatrate the crayon.
How to create crayon resist dye Easter eggs
1. Gather your supplies
- White hard boiled eggs (or white craft eggs if you don’t wish to use real)
- Paper towels or cloth
- Store bought egg dye (we used Paas color cups), or food coloring (1/2 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 10 to 20 drops food color)
- White crayon (I know every post on here talks about how amazing washable crayons are, but you want to use regular, non-washable crayons for this)
2. Draw your design using your trusty white crayon
Now that you have all your supplies gathered, it’s time for the fun part – drawing your design! You can draw anything from simple stripes to intricate designs. My kids went for simple patterns this year – stars, dots, and stripes. In the past, they’ve written their names, and drawn a lot of Minecraft people.
When you’re ready to start drawing, grab your crayon and begin creating your design directly on the eggshell. Keep in mind that any areas where you draw with crayon will resist the dye when you dip the egg in the coloring solution. This means that those areas will remain white, while the rest of the egg will absorb the color.
For best results, try to create bold, strong lines with your crayons. The more crayon you apply, the more resistant the egg will be to the dye.
Once you’ve finished your design, it’s time to move on to the next step – dyeing your eggs.
3. (Resist) dye your eggs
It’s time to dye your eggs! Fill a medium sized bowl with your preferred dye. Depending on your egg’s size and color preference, soak your egg in the dye bath for anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. Dark colors work best with this method, as it gives a nice contrast. We found that we needed to put the eggs back in the yellow dye for a lot longer, as the white lines were very faint on a pastel yellow background.
Once you’re satisfied with the hue, remove the egg from the dye and pat it dry with a paper towel.
4. Reveal your unique Easter eggs
Now that you’ve created your one-of-a-kind Easter eggs, it’s time to show them off! Whether you choose to display them in a basket or bowl, hide them for an Easter egg hunt, or give them as a gift, everyone will love seeing your kids’s creativity.
Have you tried the crayon resist dye method with your children? Tell us about it in the comments below. Happy Easter!
