Easter EggsEaster Eggs

For decorating Easter eggs we need empty eggshells. Make a small hole at the top and bottom of the eggswith a needle file. This willgive a neat hole, which isresistant to cracking.Gently break up the yolkinside the egg by inserting a skewer through one of the holes and the egg willbe easier to ´blow´.

For the ´wax resist´ technique we use a plain white candle and a pin tool (made by sticking a pin with a ´metal head´ into the pointless end of an ordinary wooden pencil).

We must learn to lay wax on the shell in tiny even drops, similar to prolonged beads.

We can practise this technique on brown eggs and it is useful to rest the hand holding the empty shell onthe table and to be close to the candle.

Warm the pin head in the candle flame, then touch the wax, the wax gets onto the pin. Put it in the flame of the candle for a second (the wax liquefies and sits on the pin head – like ink on a pen nib.)

We place the pin onto the shell, wait until the drop of wax slides down onto the shell, and then we draw the pin downwards in a line to make the prolonged bead shape.

When we have mastered the technique of laying the wax lines, we can start to decorate the first egg.

First of all we draw a grid, in pencil ,onto the egg in orderto have the patternevenly distributed.

Then we start work on the pattern, laying drop after drop of wax onto the shell.

When the pattern is finished, we can start dying the shell. Remember : what we have drawn in wax on the white shell will stay white after the dying.

To dye the shell we can use the special Easter Egg dyes, the dye from the colourful crepe paper or the dye from ordinary, water-based felt-tip pens.

Before dying the shell, we gently wash off the pencil grid and degrease the shell with water and a few drops of washing-up liquid.

Prepare the dye in a small glass jar and dip the shell in and out using a wood skewer.

Allow the shell to dry.

After drying the first colour (which is always lighter than the second layer of dye) we apply more wax decoration with the pin.

If we want larger areas of the first colour, we cover these with hot wax using a brush.

Then we dye the shell in the second, darker dye.Repeat the method of dipping the shell into a glass jar of dye with a wood skewer and then allow to thoroughly dry.

Finally, we warm the shell in the candle flame in order to melt the wax pattern,

which is then easily wiped off.

The Easter egg is finished !

Photo gal leryPhoto gal lery

The EndThe End