Easter egg

Egg-decorating kits let kids put their own stamp on Easter eggs. Credit: Rita Ortloff


Like chocolate bunnies, bonnets and fluffy yellow Peeps, brightly colored eggs are one of Easter's many delights. And those simple, inexpensive decorating kits you might remember from childhood are just as popular today, and still the easiest way to dye eggs at home with kids. But do they all deliver the same results?

To ensure that your basket is as beautiful as possible, Holidash enlisted some young egg dyers to give the most popular options a test run. The first thing we learned is that PAAS and Dudley's have cornered the market on Easter egg decoration. The good news is that both brands offer a nice range of options to make your eggs stand out -- and we tried them all.

The Winner: PAAS Classic Easter Egg Decorating Kit
Paas is the granddaddy of Easter egg dyes -- in fact, pretty much every other dye kit is a variation on this one, which was invented in the late 1800s. The Paas traditional kit retails for about a dollar and consists of three color tablets and a wire egg dipper. This kit is very simple to use: Dissolve the tablets in either lemon juice (for basic colored eggs) or vinegar (for brighter eggs) and add water. Dunk the eggs in the colored bath and let them soak until you're happy with the color.

Verdict: Easy for big and little kids to manage. Colors were most vibrant in the vinegar-based bath; the lemon juice bath was disappointing. Dye will temporarily stain little fingers and hands, but will wash out of clothes with basic pre-treating, although we recommend smocks or old t-shirts to keep kids covered.

Variations: The basic Paas kit includes a wax crayon that can be used to write on the eggs prior to dyeing; the design stays white while the egg turns color. The kit also comes with stickers, but the eggs need to be fully dried before the stickers will adhere. We recommend saving the stickers for Easter morning; kids can put them on their eggs after they're done hunting for them.

The Runner-Up: Dudley's Easter Egg Decorating Kit
This is essentially the same as the Paas Classic Kit; it comes with three color tablets, which are dissolved in water and vinegar, as well as a wax crayon and stickers for decoration. It costs the same as the Paas kit, and the colors are comparable (we liked the Paas blue better, but the Dudley's pink -- which is dissolved only in water, without the vinegar -- was prettier). So if they're so similar, why is Dudley's the runner up? Because the Dudley's kits can be harder to find -- Paas is sold everywhere, and ease of purchase gives it a little edge. Otherwise, Dudley's is a terrific choice.

Easter egg

Dissolving dye in vinegar produces the brightest colors. Credit: Rita Ortloff

Third Place: PAAS Fun Expressions Easter Egg Decorating Kit
This is a beefed-up version of the classic, with six color tablets instead of three and a glitter pen in addition to the wax crayon. This kit is perfect if you have a bigger group of kids dyeing eggs, or kids of multiple ages. It retails for about $2, and is available at Target, Walmart, and most grocery and drug stores, as is the classic kit.

The Loser: PAAS Marble Magic
Marble Magic is essentially the basic kit -- dye tablets, egg dipper -- with extra instructions. Dye the eggs a base color, add three tablespoons vegetable oil to the color bath and stir vigorously; then immediately place your egg in the oil-and-water dye bath and turn rapidly with the egg dipper for 30 seconds.

Verdict: The process was a huge hassle, especially with small children. Our grade-school testers weren't able to mix the oil and water on their own, which meant the adults ended up decorating the eggs -- and that takes all the fun out of it, really. Skip this one if you're dyeing eggs with little kids.

While the basic dyeing process is the same no matter what brand or kit you buy, there are many add-ons you can pick up at most major stores to make your eggs more festive and special. We found three that we really liked.
Easter eggs

After the eggs are dyed, add glitter and stickers for more fun. Credit: Rita Ortloff


Best for Young Children: PAAS Color Snaps
Color Snaps look like little Q-Tips filled with paint. When you snap them in the middle, the paint comes out at the fluffy cotton end, allowing children to draw or write on dyed eggs for a more elaborate design. These are great for little fingers; they're easy to manipulate and simple to use, and the clean-up is minimal.

Best for Tweens: PAAS Sparkling Glitter
If your tween has decided she's too old to dye Easter eggs, take heart: A more complicated kit, with fancy paints and glitter, can be just the solution. This Paas kit consists of five shades of paint (teal, purple, yellow, pink and blue), a small paintbrush and a packet of glitter. After the eggs are dyed and fully dry, paint designs on with the brush and sprinkle with glitter.

Best for Boys: Dudley's Star Wars Easter Egg Decorating Kit
This Dudley's option is a Star Wars-themed version of the basic kit with five color dyes, but instead of paint or stickers it comes with 31 tattoos that can be added to dyed eggs. And because they are tattoos, it's not necessary to wait for the eggs to dry, which is a big bonus if you're working with little boys -- who, after all, are the biggest "Star Wars" fans out there. This kit also comes in a "Transformers" option, perfect if your son is more into cars than space crafts. Dudley's offers a variety of riffs on the egg tattoo, including puppies and Disney princesses; check your supermarket shelves for options.