The art of Pysansky, better known as Ukrainian Easter Eggs, is ancient and filled with meaning and significance, practiced for hundreds and hundreds of years by Slavic women, and passed down through generations from mother to daughter.It is an intricate art form feared to be dying. Earlier I blogged in more detail about the story behind these beautifully intricate eggs, including a brief history, meaning of the symbols and colors used, and of course, my own story regarding my connection to the Ukrainian Easter Egg. Visit my blog.
While decorating Easter Eggs in the traditional Ukrainian style requires specialized tools, it is possible to make them using ordinary household materials. Even egg dying kits have included wax crayons that can produce a similar result to these Ukrainian Eggs, incorporating the symbols and colors associated with such. Perfect for children and a great learning tool!
Pysanky eggs are simply made by applying wax to mask areas of the egg before it is dyed. Several layers of wax and colors of dye are used to create intricate, multicolor designs. To apply the wax, you may purchase a special stylus or make your own.
Things you will need:
Blown egg
Vinegar
Egg dye
Beeswax candle
Straight pin
Unsharpened pencil
Spoon
Paper towels
First, rinse the egg in vinegar and allow it to dry. Mix up several colors of egg dye according to the package directions. (Or make your own natural dyes from dried plants, roots, berries ... even onion skins, vegetables, etc). Light your beeswax candle and let it burn until there is a small pool of wax. Make a stylus by sticking a straight pin through the eraser of a pencil. You will use the head of the pin to apply the wax to the egg.
Secondly, dip the head of the pin in the pool of melted wax. Use the stylus to apply dots and lines of beeswax to your eggs, covering the areas you want to remain white. You may draw your design on the egg with a pencil before you start. Dye the egg in the lightest color, usually yellow. Since the egg has been blown, you will have to hold it down in the dye with a spoon. Remove the egg when the color is as dark as you would like. Allow it to dry on a rack or paper towels.
Next, use wax to cover the parts of the egg which you wish to remain yellow. Dye the egg in a second color and allow it to dry.
Then, add more wax to cover the colors you wish to remain the same. You may remove wax from areas you wish to color with another layer of dye by scraping it off gently. For example, if you covered an area you wish to dye blue in the first step, you can remove that wax after the yellow dye is used. Then when you immerse the egg in blue dye, the uncovered yellow area will become green while the uncovered white areas will be blue.
Finally, cover more of the egg with wax and dye the egg in darker dye colors. When the last color has dried, remove the wax with a warm wet cloth.
These instructions can be found at: http://www.ehow.com/how_6679313_make-pysanky-eggs.html.
:: If you make a version of these Ukrainian Eggs this Easter, we would love for you to send us a picture of your creation!
Happy Easter Egg Dying!
