Moroccan Painted Easter Eggs

|

These painted Easter eggs are inspired by the patterns and colors of Morocco! Learn a bit about the history of Moroccan rugs with this DIY.

I’ve been researching Moroccan rugs lately because I’m trying to find one the right size for our kitchen! And in that research, my head has started swimming with colors and patterns created by the native Moroccan tribes.

So when I was brainstorming a new Easter egg idea, these patterns popped into my head. I thought it could be an interesting homage to this beautiful heritage to paint the colors and patterns in this way.

Psst — be sure to sign up below for my VIP group, where I’ll send more of my very best DIYs, recipes, and ideas straight to ya!

What Are Moroccan Rugs?

Have you read much about the history of Moroccan rugs? It’s truly fascinating (you can read a bit about how and why these rugs are created right here).

Various indigenous tribes all created their own styles, using different weaves or patterns passed down from person to person.

Each symbol also has its own meaning, which I think is incredible. (Here’s a quick breakdown.) It’s such an amazing and artistic way that the culture has created to pass down its stories and traditions.

We look at them and just see what we think is beautiful design, but they (like so many other culturally-connected works of art) are full of meaning and function.

For the project, I basically wanted to recreate some of my favorite rugs from my internet travels, using these wooden eggs as a canvas.

I decided to go with the wooden eggs because I figured that painting the patterns would be something of a time investment, and I wanted to be able to use the eggs again year after year.

So rather than use real eggs, the wooden ones make this project last forever!

The Best Paint for Wooden Easter Eggs

In the past, I’ve created plenty of painted Easter eggs using real eggs as a canvas. In that case, I love using spray paint instead of egg dye for a quick blast of very saturated color.

However, since these faux eggs are wooden, an acrylic craft paint is a better choice for the project.

You can easily manipulate acrylic paint to create more intricate patterns or shapes on your eggs this way.

Supplies You’ll Need for This Project

Check out the fully linked list below for links to the exact products that we used and recommend.

Materials

How to Make DIY Painted Easter Eggs

Make Time: 20 Minutes Per Egg

Instructions

  1. Start by painting a base color for each egg. This should be the main color of the rug that you’re trying to recreate. Allow this coat to fully dry.
  2. If you like, you can clamp your egg in a small clamp to hold it more easily as you paint it. This will also enable you to twirl the egg without smudging the paint as you work your way around the egg.
  3. Assess the pattern of the rug that you’re using as inspiration, and decide which elements to include. Usually a rug will have a main shape or central theme, so it’s good to start there. If there are any large-scale patterns (like the cross-hatch on our purple egg) or big blocks of color (like the center diamond on our dark pink egg), it’s best to start there. Use a thin paintbrush to start outlining the main elements of your egg.
  4. Once you have those main elements painted, then you can continue adding layers of paint to create more colors and textures. This process will probably take a few rounds, as most rugs have lots of intricate layers and patterns. Recreate them until you’re happy with the result!
  5. After all of the paint has dried, add a layer of clear glossy ModPodge or sealer to add a bit of sheen and protect your designs.

More painted Easter Egg ideas

If you love these painted Easter egg, take a peek at these other egg ideas that use paint instead of dye:

How to Display Your Painted Easter Eggs

I love placing these in a shallow dish on a shelf or countertop. I also think they’re really lovely displayed as part of a table centerpiece.

That’s it! I just loved making this project, and I love the finished product. It has also inspired me to learn a lot more about these beautiful rugs and the history behind them.

They’re obviously currently very trendy. I appreciate them for their beauty, but learning the history behind them rounds out their story and brings an even deeper appreciation.

And just for fun, here are some more side-by-sides of the rug inspiration and the eggs that came to life! Hope you have fun making these this Easter season. xoxo

moroccan rug inspired easter eggs

Moroccan Painted Easter Eggs

Yield: Painted Easter Eggs
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $10

Create bold patterns on your painted Easter eggs inspired by the rich tradition of Moroccan rugs.

Instructions

    1. Start by painting a base color for each egg. This should be the main color of the rug that you're trying to recreate. Allow this coat to fully dry.
    2. If you like, you can clamp your egg in a small clamp to hold it more easily as you paint it. This will also enable you to twirl the egg without smudging the paint as you work your way around the egg.
    3. Assess the pattern of the rug that you're using as inspiration, and decide which elements to include. Usually a rug will have a main shape or central theme, so it's good to start there. If there are any large-scale patterns (like the cross-hatch on our purple egg) or big blocks of color (like the center diamond on our dark pink egg), it's best to start there. Use a thin paintbrush to start outlining the main elements of your egg.
    4. Once you have those main elements painted, then you can continue adding layers of paint to create more colors and textures. This process will probably take a few rounds, as most rugs have lots of intricate layers and patterns. Recreate them until you're happy with the result!
    5. After all of the paint has dried, add a layer of clear glossy ModPodge or sealer to add a bit of sheen and protect your designs.

Notes

In the past, I've created plenty of painted Easter eggs using real eggs as a canvas. In that case, I love using spray paint instead of egg dye for a quick blast of very saturated color.

However, since these faux eggs are wooden, an acrylic craft paint is a better choice for the project.

You can easily manipulate acrylic paint to create more intricate patterns or shapes on your eggs this way.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means that I receive a small commission should you make any purchases via the links in this post. Thanks, as always, for your support!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

6 Comments