URGENT - how to get regular poster paint to stick to a hard boiled egg

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Dd wants all her hard boiled eggs one colour to then draw on. We only have bog standard paints (like the tubs from wilko/tesco). But it just doesn't adhere. Tried mixing in a smidge of PVA. worked even less well.

Help!!!

Oh, it's for the school egg decorating competition.

Do you have food colouring. My mum used those to boil them in.

Only in red

Nail varnish works pretty well- but messy to do and smelly. Go with the food colour.

She wants them all yellow to do emoji faces on

Food colouring

Wish I'd sat and coloured them with a sharpie. The paint is already half on the eggs and looks atrocious.

can you get hold of acrylic paint to try? that tends to stick easily no matter the surface

I am just having the exact same conversation with dh! I am going for many layers and they can paint some badly formed flowers on it or something

I'd wash the eggs with some soap/washing liquid to get rid of the waxy/fatty outer layer. We've successfully painted eggs that way with IKEA standard kid's play paint

@Lubeyboobyalt

can you get hold of acrylic paint to try? that tends to stick easily no matter the surface

I've been through all our paints and all we have is oil, poster and watercolour. No acrylics

I think you need acrylics. Sorry that’s unhelpful if you’ve only got poster paints.

Any leftover primer/undercoat from decorating? That could work.

@NoSquirrels

I think you need acrylics. Sorry that’s unhelpful if you’ve only got poster paints.

Any leftover primer/undercoat from decorating? That could work.

I may have some matt white emulsion from decorating - would that work as a decent base under poster paint?

Have you tried decorating paints eg emulsion or gloss? If you have white you could probably tint them with yellow food colouring. Or try a coat or two of emulsion then your other paint over the top?

I'm sure there's a trick to this like when you do wax painting - mix the paint with washing up liquid or something. I will try to find out.

God, egg decorating is a thankless task. They always look shite.
It’s all the fucking craft blogs from the US with their white-shelled eggs, and we’ve got to start with bloody brown ones.
I think try the emulsion and see if it sticks.

Yeah a white egg from the start is a definite headstart on this!

You can dye them yellow with turmeric.

Yes there we go - found it. About a drop of washing up liquid per tablespoon of paint apparently. I'd just mix a squirt in and see how it goes.

If you want to buy some replacement white eggs, halal shops usually have them.

I believe that you can make them an orange yellow colour by boiling them with onion skins. Not a red onion though. Do you have any onions in?

White emulsion should work or a coating of PVA glue if you have it (or a mixture of both!)

Tumeric should work to dye them

Came on to say Turmeric but I've been beaten to it!

If the eggs are already cooked and peeled either reboil them in turmeric water or soak them overnight in a very turmeric concentrate. Do not go anywhere near with white clothing on though! (Speaks from experience!)

@Bootothegoose

Came on to say Turmeric but I've been beaten to it!

If the eggs are already cooked and peeled either reboil them in turmeric water or soak them overnight in a very turmeric concentrate. Do not go anywhere near with white clothing on though! (Speaks from experience!)

I won't be peeling them. They are for an Easter egg competition at school