How to Paint a 3D Printed Dragon Egg: What Actually Sticks

How to paint a 3D printed dragon egg so the paint actually stays on? Our dragon eggs arrive unpainted, in the colour of the filament, and parents keep telling us that painting them turns into an afternoon project with the kids. Our plain decorative eggs without a dragon are marked 14+: they are decoration for teenagers and adults, so for painting with children we recommend the dragon eggs.

So here is what we know works on PLA, what does not, and the one mistake that ruins an egg for good. It is written for painting with children, with an adult at the table.

What paint sticks to PLA

PLA is a smooth, slightly silky plastic, so not every paint grips it. These do:

• Acrylic paint: ordinary craft acrylic. It covers in two thin coats, dries in about 20 minutes, cleans up with water and is fine for children's hands.
• Acrylic markers (Posca and similar): the easiest option with children, because there is nothing to knock over.
• Spray paint for plastic: adults only and outdoors only, but it gives the most even finish.

What does not stick: watercolour beads off, felt-tip pens smudge and nail polish attacks the surface.

What you need

• the egg, and the dragon if you want to paint it too
• dish soap, warm water and a clean towel
• fine sandpaper, 400 grit
• masking tape for the threaded rim
• acrylic paint or acrylic markers
• a thin brush for details and a small sponge for backgrounds
• newspaper or an old tablecloth, a jar of water and kitchen roll
• something to stand the halves on while they dry, such as an egg cup

Step by step

1. Open the egg. Twist the two halves apart and take the dragon out, if there is one. Paint the halves separately.
2. Wash it. Dish soap and warm water, then dry it thoroughly. Printing leaves traces of grease, and that is exactly where paint flakes off later.
3. Sand lightly. If you want the paint to last, go over the surface once with 400-grit sandpaper and wipe off the dust. No primer needed.
4. Tape the rim. Put a strip of masking tape over the threaded rim of each half. It takes five seconds and saves the egg.
5. Paint the base. One thin coat of acrylic, let it dry fully, then a second thin coat. Two thin coats cover better than one thick one.
6. Add the details. Scales with a thin brush, dabs of colour with the sponge, or lines with an acrylic marker once the base is dry.
7. Let it dry, then untape. Wait until the last layer is completely dry, peel off the tape and only then twist the egg closed.

Read also: Dragon Egg with Dragon Inside: All Four Sizes Compared · Gifts for 8 Year Olds and Kids 6 to 12, Sorted by Age

Drying

A thin coat of craft acrylic dries in about 20 minutes. Thicker coats take longer, so the simple rule is: let each layer dry fully before the next one goes on.

Stand the halves on an egg cup so the painted surface touches nothing. Do not twist the egg closed while any paint near the rim is still soft.

Mistakes to avoid

• Painting the thread. The two halves twist into each other, and dried paint in the thread glues the egg shut for good. Tape the rim.
• Painting the dragon's joints. If you paint the figure as well, skip the moving parts, or it stiffens up.
• Skipping the wash. Grease from printing is where paint flakes off first.
• The wrong paint. Watercolour, felt-tips and nail polish do not work on PLA.
• One thick coat. It takes longer to dry and covers worse than two thin ones.
• Spray paint indoors or in children's hands. Spraying is a job for an adult, outside.

What children actually paint

From what comes back to us, two ideas win: galaxy patterns, with a dark base and paint dabbed on with a sponge, and dragon scales picked out with a thin brush. The scale texture on our eggs does half the work for the second one.

The baby dragons come as a set of three eggs: handy for practising, and every child gets their own egg. For one bigger egg, take the winged dragon in an egg, which comes in a 12 cm egg. Everything with a surprise inside is under Surprise Eggs.

Safety: paint together, with an adult at the table. The eggs and dragons have small moving parts and are not suitable for children under 3. Spray paint is for adults only, outdoors.

Find a dragon egg to paint

Questions about painting

Do I need a primer for PLA?

No. Wash the egg with dish soap, give it one light pass with 400-grit sandpaper, and acrylic paint will hold.

How long does the paint take to dry?

A thin coat of craft acrylic dries in about 20 minutes. Let each layer dry fully, and wait until the last one is dry before you close the egg.

Can we paint the dragon too?

Yes, with acrylic, but leave the joints unpainted. Paint in a joint makes the dragon stiff.