Ukrainian Egg Dyeing

eggs - get local eggs if you can because they don't have the ridges caused by machine sorting
dyes - no, not your regular egg dyes. These are serious and you'll have to order them.
kistka - the pen-like tool that applies hot wax to the egg
beeswax
old newspaper and paper towels - for the mess
glass jars - to hold the dye
spoons or wire egg dippers - for dipping the eggs in the dye
candle - to melt the wax
pencil - to draw designs on the egg, or to sketch ideas
varnish, polyurethane, or clear nail polish - to finish and protect your egg
egg blower (optional, but very handy) or needle

Pick a design. I've found there are three ways to approach this. One is to find a design in a book and copy it exactly. This is a fail safe way to start out and learn about the process. Another method is to study designs you like, gather a number of elements and combine them into a new design that is yours. This is what I usually do. The last method is to wing it and see what happens!

I recommend drawing your design on paper first (unless you are winging it). Then take a pencil and _very lightly_ draw just the basic elements of that design on the egg. Don't fill in any details, just get the big pieces in place so you can follow them and fill in as you go. You will want a design that uses at least three colors, and they should all be in the same family. In other words, use a combo of colors that range from light to dark from the same side of the color wheel. (e.g. white, yellow, orange, red, & black, or white, light green, royal blue, & dark purple.)

Apply a layer of wax with the kistka.

Start with only the sections of your design that you want to remain white. Cover these areas with wax, and when you dip your egg in the first color, those areas won't take the dye and will be white in your final design.

Fill the tip of the kistka with a small amount of beeswax, then hold it in the flame of a candle until it melts. Carefully use the kistka to 'draw' on your egg. Refill it with wax and re-melt whenever you need to. It may take some practice to draw a straight line and avoid leaving big wax blobs when you don't mean to. Don't worry though - your first egg with be stunning even with wiggly lines and blobs.

Once you are done with all the white sections, put your egg in the lightest color of dye that you picked and let it set for a few minutes. Take it out and blot it dry with a paper towel.

Repeat this step for each color of your design - one layer at a time. Go from lightest color to darkest. In the last step, whatever isn't covered in wax will be your darkest color.

Note: the dyes used are toxic - you must use uncooked eggs, the contents of which you'll blow out after you are done. These are not the Easter eggs you make egg salad sandwiches out of.

Note for Kids: You can follow the same process using hard boiled eggs and non-toxic pastel egg dyes, by using a white crayon to draw the designs. No need to remove the crayon wax afterward. I did variations on this as a kid and the results are very pretty!

Melt the wax.

Once your egg is done and dry, you'll remove all of the wax, which by now will look black and messy, and reveal the wonder of your artwork.

The easiest way to do this is to put the egg on a wire rack in the oven and set it to a low temperature to let all the wax melt. It has to be a low temperature so that you don't cook the egg, which will make it hard to empty the shell.

I actually prefer the slower method of removing the wax by hand. Hold the egg next to the candle flame (not on top of the flame where it will get sooty). Wipe away the melted wax with a paper towel. Continue until your eggs is completely free of wax. You must be very careful not to hold the egg too tight or wipe it off roughly so that it doesn't crack.

If you love your egg (and you should, it is gorgeous!) then protect it with a layer of lacquer.Cover it with a thin layer of varnish, clear nail polish, or polyurethane. Let it dry.

The last thing to do is to blow out the contents of the egg. If you have an egg blowing tool, great! If not, just use a needle to carefully pierce a hole in both ends of the egg. One hole should be a little larger than the other, perhaps an 1/8th of an inch wide. Blow into the smaller hole until all of the egg has come out of the larger hole (into a dish or sink.) If you are using an egg blowing tool, be very careful not to be too aggressive with the pumping! If you build up too much pressure your egg will crack and you will be very sad after all your hard work and creative genius.

Note about when to blow eggs: Some people will tell you to blow the egg before dyeing it. This eliminates the risk of cracking an egg after all the work has gone into it, but, a full egg is much easier to submerge in dye and hold onto while applying wax. I recommend waiting to empty the egg until afterward.

Hang your finished egg on a tree or place it on a stand or in a bowl on display where you can admire it.

For more fun, don't do this alone! Get enough tools to let your friends play too, and have an egg dyeing party. It isn't just for kids anymore!