How to Make Resurrection Eggs: A Step-by-Step Guide For Families

What are Resurrection Eggs?

Resurrection Eggs are a simple, hands-on Easter tradition for families. They consist of 12 plastic Easter eggs, each containing a symbol from the Easter story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The eggs might include items like a a mini wooden cross, a mini crown of thorns, some silver coins, etc. The last egg is always left empty to remind us that Jesus was resurrected and left the tomb empty.

I love this family Easter tradition because it is a great activity for both kids and adults and helps everyone remember the real reason for Easter.

How to Make Your Own Resurrection Eggs

Want to learn how to make resurrection eggs for or with your family? I hope the step-by-step guide below will help you!

Below are pictures and an outline of how my mother-in-law likes to do Resurrection eggs, including what to put in the eggs, the story, and the scripture verse that goes with each item. (Kudos to her for sharing this fun idea with me!)

You can make one set of resurrection eggs yourself to surprise your family, work on it as a family, or have each family member create their own unique version.

What to Put in Resurrection Eggs (All 12 Symbols)

Below you’ll find all 12 egg symbols, scripture verses for each egg, and a kid-friendly explanation of that piece of the Easter story.

Egg #1: Sacrament Cup

Symbol: Small cup or mini wine glass. You can save a sacrament/communion cup from church to wash and put in the egg, or you can find mini wine glasses here.

Scripture: Matthew 26:26-28

Story: Before Jesus died, he had one last meal with his disciples. He had bread and drink for everyone. He asked his friends to remember his body when they ate the bread and his blood when they had the drink. We also remember His body when we eat bread and drink water each week when we take the Sacrament.

Egg #2: Garden of Gethsemane

Symbol: Small picture of Jesus praying, prayer hands charm, or prayer hands sticker.

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-39

Story: Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, He felt unimaginable pain and sorrow. He asked His Father if it was possible for Him not to suffer, but that He would if it was God’s will. He did it even though it was hard because He loves us.

Egg #3: Coins

Symbol: Silver coins. You can use 3 dimes, nickels, or any silver coins you have to represent 30 pieces of silver.

Scripture: Matthew 26:14-15

Story: After the Last Supper, Jesus went to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed to Heavenly Father for each of us, and He made it possible for us to be forgiven for the things we do wrong. While He was in the garden, soldiers came to take Him away. They didn’t know which one was Jesus, so one of His disciples named Judas betrayed Jesus and agreed to tell them. Judas was given 30 pieces of silver for doing this.

Egg #4: Whip

Symbol: A small piece of rope or leather cord works well, or you can use this inexpensive option here if you don’t already have some.

Scripture: Mark 15:15

Story: Jesus was taken before a man named Pilate, who was the Roman leader at that time. Even though Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, he did what the wicked people wanted him to do and said that Jesus was to be killed. Before the soldiers killed Jesus, they were very mean to Him. One of the things they did was to whip Jesus. This represents the whip they used to hurt Him.

Egg #5: Crown of Thorns

Symbol: These crown of thorns bracelets are a great option because they already come in eggs. Another option is to collect a few thorns from a rose bush to put in the egg.

Scripture: John 19:2

Story: Jesus said that He was the King of the Jews. The soldiers made fun of Him and made a crown out of sharp thorns and put it on His head. This little crown of thorns reminds us of the crown Jesus had to wear.

Egg #6: Purple Robe

Symbol: Small piece of purple fabric. If you don’t have any on hand, you can get this purple fabric for inexpensive or this purple felt.

Scripture: John 19: 2-3

Story: Along with the crown of thorns, the soldiers also put a purple robe on Jesus like a king would wear. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They didn’t realize that Jesus really was a heavenly king. This purple fabric reminds us how the soldiers dressed Jesus.

Egg #7: Cross

Symbol: You can use a small wooden cross, cut one from cardboard, or find inexpensive mini crosses here if you’d rather not make one.

Scripture: Matthew 27:31-32

Story: The cross that Jesus was to die on was put on His back. They made him carry it to a place where he would be hung on the cross. After a while, a man named Simon was told to carry the cross the rest of the way.

Egg #8: Nails

Symbol: You can use any nails that will fit in your eggs. If you don’t have any on hand, you can find some here.

Scripture: Luke 23:33

Story: When they reached a place called Calvary, Jesus was nailed to the cross. They put nails into his hands and feet. These nails remind us how they nailed Him to the cross.

Egg #9: Sign that says, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews”

Symbol: Small piece of cardboard or wood that says, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.” You can write it in English, or you can look up how to write it in Greek, Hebrew, and/or Latin. Here’s an example of small pieces of wood you could use.

Scripture: Luke 23:38

Story: Before Jesus died, they placed a sign above the cross that said, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.” It was written in different languages. This was another way to make fun of Jesus for saying He was a heavenly king.

Egg #10: Spear

Symbol: You can use a toy spear or color the tip of a toothpick or skewer (cut to the right length) to look like a spear. If you don’t have any options at home, you can get cocktail spears like these. (Just make sure they will fit in your eggs.)

Scripture: John 19:33-34

Story: Jesus bowed his head and died. Then one of the soldiers took his spear and pierced Jesus’ side to make sure he was really dead. This spear reminds us of that.

Egg #11: Stone

Symbol: A small rock.

Scripture: Matthew 27:59-60

Story: Jesus’s friends took His body down from the cross. They wrapped His body in linen cloth and put it into a tomb. They rolled a stone over the entrance and then left. After three days they went back and were surprised when the stone had been moved. This rock reminds us of the stone that was rolled away.

Egg #12: Empty Tomb

Symbol: Nothing- it’s empty! 🙂

Scripture: Matthew 28:5-6

Story: Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene went into the tomb and saw that his body wasn’t there. Jesus was alive again. This empty egg reminds us of the empty tomb because Jesus was resurrected! This is the reason we celebrate Easter.

Creative Ways to Use Resurrection Eggs With Your Family

There are many ways to use resurrection eggs and you can use these ideas to cater this tradition to your family!

When to Use Resurrection Eggs

There are lots of options of when to use the Resurrection Eggs:

• 1-2 eggs per day during Holy Week
• One egg per day leading up to Easter
• All at once during a family lesson
• During a Christ-centered Easter egg hunt

Personally, I enjoy doing it as a family lesson the Sunday or Monday before Easter Sunday. I like to let our kids take turns opening an egg and then the adults read a verse or explain what the symbol represents.

Other Symbols You Could Use

If you don’t have all 12 symbols listed above, there are other options. Here are some ideas:

• A sponge to represent the sponge that was used to give Jesus vinegar when He asked for water on the cross.
• A small container of oil to represent the oil put on Jesus’ feet by Mary, Martha’s sister, prior to His death.
• Spices to represent the spices put on His body after He died.
• A small piece of white cloth to represent the linen Jesus’ body was wrapped in.
• A cracker or piece of bread to represent the bread Jesus gave His followers during the Last Supper.

Why Resurrection Eggs Are a Meaningful Easter Tradition

Easter is all about hope, new life, and the gift Jesus gave us through His suffering, death, and resurrection. Making resurrection eggs with your family is a great reminder of the real reason for Easter. I hope that you and your family will feel the Spirit of the Easter Season and gratitude for Jesus Christ as you start this tradition together.

Want some more Christ-centered Easter traditions? You might enjoy: Christian Easter Traditions That Focus on Jesus (Simple Ideas for Families)