Decorating Easter eggs through the decades: Fun ideas from the 50s to the 90s

Vintage Decorating Easter eggs ideas

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Easter egg traditions & the history of Easter eggs

Decorating Easter eggs is a tradition that never gets old. Whether you grew up dipping eggs in dye tablets or using shrink-wrap sleeves with cartoon characters, the process of transforming plain white eggs into something colorful and festive has long been part of American springtime fun.

The idea of decorating eggs actually goes way back — long before the modern American Easter basket came along. Ancient cultures decorated eggs for seasonal and symbolic reasons, not necessarily tied to any religious belief. Some of the oldest decorated eggs ever discovered were found in Africa and date back tens of thousands of years. Later, red-dyed eggs became common among early Christians in Mesopotamia as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. The tradition spread from there, picking up new meanings and methods along the way.

Vintage Easter egg cards for kids

By the time the Easter Bunny hopped into American pop culture in the 1800s, decorating Easter eggs had shifted more toward a family activity than a religious ritual. Eggs became a part of the spring celebration, often hard-boiled and dyed at home in kitchens across the country. By the 1950s and 60s, egg dye kits from companies like Paas were a staple in many homes. Kids used wax crayons, stickers and little wire egg dippers to personalize each one. Some families even added a bit of vinegar for brighter colors, or experimented with onion skins and beet juice for natural dye.

In the 1970s and 80s, plastic eggs started showing up more often — especially in Easter egg hunts — but the tradition of dyeing real eggs didn’t go anywhere. Decorating became more crafty too, with ideas like decoupage, lace appliqués, and even “marble” techniques using oil and food coloring. And let’s not forget those shrink-wrap sleeves with cartoon characters from Peanuts or Garfield that showed up in the late ’80s. They made egg decorating quick, easy, and colorful enough to get even the least crafty kid involved.

ALSO SEE: Retro Easter candy from the 70s, 80s & 90s remains some of the greatest candy of all time

Even now, with plastic eggs filled with candy and cash taking over many egg hunts, the old tradition of dyeing and decorating real eggs still has a place. It’s a fun way to mark the season, whether you’re going for a vintage look or just revisiting something you loved as a kid.

To help keep this colorful tradition alive, we’ve rounded up all the Easter egg photos, craft ideas, and vintage inspiration we could find — from classic 50s decorating kits to forgotten styles from the 90s. So if you’re feeling nostalgic (or just curious), you can see how people have been decorating Easter eggs across the decades. ]We also have some tips for making perfect hardboiled eggs — as well as some divine deviled egg recipes from the 60s and 70s.

Here are some more fun Easter egg ideas from our sister sites!

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