Ukrainian Easter Egg "Pysanka"

A pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg decorated using beeswax and dyes. The designs are written onto an egg with beeswax using a special tool called "kistka". The tools for making pysanky are easy to find on the internet once you know what you are looking for. This is a great project to explore your creativity and teach to children.

• 1 egg
• pencil
• awl or dremel to make a hole in the egg (optional)
• one hole egg blower pump (optional)
• egg dyes
• beeswax
• “kistka” - a tool for applying beeswax to the egg. Could be either brass-headed or electric.
• candle or heat gun

Most supplies can be purchased at one of the following stores: Amazon, Etsy, www.bestpysanky.com, www.ukrainiangiftshop.com

1. Prepare yellow, green, pink, purple and black dyes according to package directions. Most manufacturers tell you to mix dry powder with 1 cup of boiling water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. I usually let it cool for at least three hours.

I find working with a dremel with a super thin bit works best for me, but if you don't have one at home you can either make a hole with an awl or skip steps 2-4 entirely and work with a full egg. I like my holes to be on the smaller side - about 2-3 mm (1/8 in.) in diameter.

To blow the inside of the egg out I use a one hole egg blower pump which is inexpensive and can be purchased online. Push the tip of the egg blower inside the egg and squeeze air into the egg forcing the content of the egg out. Fill the egg with water and rinse. Let it dry overnight.

If you don't want to purchase a special egg blower pump you can make two holes in the egg (one at the bottom and one on the top) and, using your mouth, blow air into one of the holes, thus causing the insides to flow out through the other end. This step is also a good exercise for your lungs ;)

Once the egg is dry inside, cover the hole with melted wax using your heated up kistka.

On the white egg outline your design lightly with a pencil.

To make sure my design is even I like to first divide the egg into 8 equal parts and then draw my design in each of the parts.

Using your pencil lines as guidelines apply wax with a heated up kistka to those areas of the egg that you want to remain white on the finished egg. The lines that you cover in wax in this step will remain white on the finished pysanka. I'm using green wax that's why the lines look green, but on the finished pysanka they will look white. You can use whichever color beeswax you can find. I prefer to work with darker colored wax as it is easier to see on the egg.

Gently place your egg into a jar of yellow dye. When the color looks right - usually after several minutes - spoon the egg out of the jar, pat it dry with a paper towel making sure not to rub the egg. Once it is dry, you can apply more wax to the egg according to your design or using my template. Those areas that you cover in wax now will remain yellow on the final pysanka.

Gently place your yellow egg into a jar of green dye. When the color looks right - usually after several minutes - spoon the egg out of the jar, pat it dry with a paper towel making sure not to rub the egg. Once it is dry, with a kistka apply more wax to the pysanka according to your design. Those areas that you cover in wax now will remain green on the final pysanka.

Gently place your green egg into a jar of pink dye. When the color looks right - usually after five minutes - spoon the egg out of the jar, pat it dry with a paper towel making sure not to rub the egg. Keep adding lines and patterns to your egg using a heated up kistka. Those areas that you cover in wax now will remain pink on the final pysanka.

Gently place your pink egg into a jar of purple dye. When the color looks right - usually after several minutes - spoon the egg out of the jar, pat it dry with a paper towel making sure not to rub the egg. Once it is dry, with a kistka apply more wax to the egg according to your design. Those areas that you cover in wax now will remain purple on the final pysanka.

Tip: You can choose to use as many or as little colors on your pysanka as you like, but follow a general rule of dye sequence - go from lightest color to the darkest color. A good choice of dye sequence could be: yellow - green - orange - red - dark red - black. Another option: yellow - blue - orange - red - dark red - black.

I chose black as my final color. Gently place your purple egg into a jar of black dye. Keep you egg in the black dye for good ten minutes. Sometimes the egg needs to sit linger in the darker colors to achieve complete saturation. Spoon the egg out of the jar, pat it dry with a paper towel making sure not to rub the egg. Let the egg dry for 15 minutes before the next step.

Using heat from a candle flame remove the wax from pysanka. Hold your pysanka in the lowest part of the flame and to side of the wick to prevent carbon from darkening your pysanka. Start by removing wax from the hole you made, to allow heated air inside the pysanka to escape from the egg through it. If you don't uncover the hole first, you run the risk of your egg cracking as the air inside it heats up. As the wax starts turning into liquid, gently wipe it with a tissue, then put the egg back near the heat and continue until you remove all wax.

Another method to remove the wax is by using a heat gun. Keep your egg in one hand while you melt the wax away with a heat gun wiping off the wax as it becomes liquid.

Tip - Regardless of whether you are using a candle, or a heat gun, make sure you uncover the hole first!

After all that hard work you can proudly display your pysanka on either an egg stand or an a small plate.

Try more designs until you have enough pysanky to display .