Painting a 3D-Printed Dragon Egg: What Actually Sticks

Our decorative eggs and dragon eggs arrive unpainted, in the colour of the filament. Parents keep telling us it turns into an afternoon project, so here is what works and what does not.

What to paint PLA with

PLA is a smooth, slightly silky plastic. These stick:

• Acrylic paint — ordinary craft acrylic. Covers in two thin coats, dries in 20 minutes, washes off with water, safe for children's hands.
• Acrylic markers (Posca and similar) — easiest with children, nothing to knock over.
• Plastic spray paint — adults only and outdoors only, but gives the most even finish.

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

The two minutes of prep that matter

Wash the egg with dish soap and dry it — printing leaves grease traces, and that is exactly where paint flakes off later. For durability, go over it once with fine sandpaper (400 grit). No primer needed.

Leave the thread alone

The important one: do not paint the threaded rim. The two halves twist into each other, and dried paint in the thread glues the egg shut for good. A strip of tape on the rim before painting solves it in five seconds.

Same for the dragon's joints — if you paint the figure too, skip the moving parts or it stiffens up.

What children actually do

From what comes back to us: galaxy patterns (dark base, paint dabbed on with a sponge) and dragon scales with a thin brush. The small 7 cm eggs are better for practising — six of them cost less than one large one and you can give them away.

Plain eggs live under Surprise Eggs, ones with a dragon inside under Dragons in Egg.