This page deals with the different aspects of decorating Easter Eggs. Areas of interest include:

• Preparing The Egg
• Making The Dye
• Using The Dye
• Other Decorating Ideas

Preparing The Egg

HARD BOILED EGGS

The first thing you need is either hard boiled or blown eggs. If you use hard boiled eggs hey must be kept refrigerated if you intend to eat them. Do not eat them if they have been left out or painted with acrylic paints.
To make perfect boiled eggs, with the yolks yellow and fluffy, instead of green and hard, start eggs in cold water. As soon as they come to a good boil, remove them from the heat and let them steep for about 15-20 minutes.
By the way, a way to make sure your eggs are fresh, put raw egg in a glass of water. If it lays on the bottom, it's fresh. If it is on the bottom, but the small end is up, it's still okay. If it is kinda floating in the middle, but not on top, it's okay, but not very fresh. If it floats, throw it away, it's rotten.

HOLLOW EGGS

If you want to keep your decorated eggs it is best to use blown eggs. However, blown eggs are much more fragile and harder for young kids to handle.
The technique to empty the shell is not only messy (although with practice it gets less messier) but it can be time consuming tiring for your cheeks! With a pin, make a small hole in either end of an egg. Move the pin around to make sure you tear the membrane around the yolk. Here comes the really messy bit. Hover over a basin, point one end of the egg at it, and then blow through the other end until all the yolk and eggwhite is free of the egg. Make sure you rinse the egg well with water. If you wish, you can save the eggs and make them into a nice omlete or quiche.

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Making The Dye

NATURAL DYE

Things you will need include:

• Various food and plant items
• Sauce pans for each color
• strainer

Pour 1/2 cup water in each sauce pan. Add cut-up fruit, vegetables or plants, bring to a boil and simmer until water turns color you like. Remove from heat and strain reserving water.

Some of the items you can use for color include saffron (makes a great yellow dye), beetroot (makes a fabulous purple), onion skins (make a really nice mottled brown), carrots, blueberries, grass, coffee, etc. When you think about it, anything that stains those lovely white clothes of yours can stain an egg. Experiment with vegies - puree some different fruits and vegetables and see what you can come up with. It seems you are only limited by your imagination!

CREPE PAPER DYE

Things you will need include:

• Different color crepe paper
• hot water
• small bowls or cups

Soak crepe paper in hot water in individual bowls or cups for each color.

FOOD COLORING DYE

Things you will need include:

• Food coloring
• hot water
• white vinegar
• small bowls or cups

For each color measure 1/4 tsp. food coloring in small bowl. Add 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tbsp. white vinegar to each color.

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Using The Dye

SIMPLY DIPPING

Things you will need include:

• egg dye
• slotted spoon
• cooking oil
• soft cloth

Add eggs and allow to sit in water until he desired color is achieved. Remove with slotted spoon and allow to dry. Polish with small amount of cooking oil and soft cloth.

DIP AND DYE EGGS

Things you will need include:

• Masking tape
• Different color egg dye
• slotted spoon
• cooking oil
• soft cloth

Stick a pattern of masking tap on plain hard boiled egg. Dip egg in egg dye and leave until desired color is reached. Remove with slotted spoon and air dry. Remove masking ape when dry. Leave masked areas white or dip again in another lighter dye. Polish finished egg with cooking oil and soft cloth.

WAXED EGGS

Things you will need include:

• Wax crayons
• paper towels
• egg dyes in different colors
• slotted spoon
• cooking oil
• soft cloth

Draw a heavy crayon pattern on hard boiled egg. Dip egg in egg dye preferably a dark color. Leave in dye until desired color is reached. Remove with slotted spoon and place in 200 degree F oven for a few minutes until wax is melted. Wipe with paper towel and dip again in lighter dye to fill in pattern where wax was. Polish finished eggs with cooking oil and soft cloth. Another way to do this would be to drip wax from a candle on and follow the same steps as for a crayon except you can peel the candle wax off instead of melting it in the oven. The only shortcoming I see is that you will get a better pattern by drawing with a crayon than you will get by dripping wax from a candle...

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Other Decorating Ideas

MARBLE EGGS

Things you will need include:

• Large glass jar
• Crayon stubs
• Vegetable grater
• Hot water
• Waxed paper or newspaper
• Empty egg carton
• Clear acrylic spray (optional)

Grate peeled crayons over waxed paper. Fill jar with very hot water. Drop bits of grated crayon into water. Add hard boiled or blown egg as soon as crayon begins to melt. Twirl egg in water with spoon. the wax should make a design on the egg. Carefully remove egg and set upside-down in egg carton to dry. Once dry spray with clear acrylic to seal.

SPONGE PAINTED EGGS

Things you will need include:

• Liquid tempra paint
• paper cups (for each color)
• small pieces of foam or sponge
• clothes pins (for each color)
• egg cups
• clear acrylic spray

Place hard boiled or blown eggs in egg cups. Partially fill paper cups with different colors of paint. Clip a piece of sponge to a clothes pin and dip into paper cups, use the clothes pin as a handle. Lightly dab the sponge over the top half of the egg. Let dry. Turn egg over and repeat procedure. Let the egg dry completely. If using blown eggs, spray with acrylic spray for a permanent finish.

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