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Party
Planning - Decorate Eggs
Naturally
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Decorate Eggs Naturally |
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(ARA) - Decorating eggs is a
traditional craft practiced by families and artisans around
the world.
Some use decorating methods handed down over generations,
such as the elaborately decorated pysanky of Slavic nations
or the cascarones of Mexico. Others invent new ways to
embellish their eggs each year -- painting them, writing on
them, turning them into funny faces, or trimming them with
odds and ends from around the house. Many folks, though,
prefer their eggs simply dyed in a rainbow of hues. For both
children and adults, it can be fascinating to see the
effects of dipping the eggs into different colored dyes.
| You can decorate either hard-cooked eggs or empty eggshells.
Hard-cooked eggs are a bit sturdier for children to use,
while empty shells are best if you're making an egg tree or
want to keep the eggs on display for a considerable time. To
dye your eggs, use commercial egg dyes, food coloring or
dyes you make yourself from foods and spices. According to
the American Egg Board, homemade natural dyes are easy to
prepare and go well with all-natural eggs. |
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Simply toss your choice of a handful -- or two or three --
of one of the materials below into a saucepan. For spices,
try a spoonful or two instead. Use your own judgment about
quantity. This is an art, not a science. Add about a cup of
water for each handful, so the water comes at least an inch
above the dyestuff. Bring to boiling, reduce the heat and
simmer from 15 minutes up to an hour, until the color is the
shade you want. Keep in mind that the eggs will dye a
lighter shade than the dye. Remove the pan from the heat.
To achieve the following colors, try these natural dye
materials:
* Pinkish red -- Fresh beets, cranberries, radishes or
frozen raspberries
* Orange -- Yellow onion skins
* Delicate yellow -- Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops,
celery seed or ground cumin
* Yellow -- Ground turmeric
* Pale green -- Spinach leaves
* Green-gold -- Yellow Delicious apple peels
* Blue -- Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves
* Beige to brown -- Strong brewed coffee or black tea
* Brown-gold -- Dill seeds
* Brown-orange -- Chili powder
* Gray -- Purple or red grape juice or beet juice
Through cheesecloth, a coffee filter or a fine sieve, strain
the dye mixture into a small bowl that's deep enough to
completely cover the eggs you want to dye. Add two to three
teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of dye liquid. With
a slotted spoon or wire egg holder from a dyeing kit, lower
the eggs into the hot liquid. Let the eggs stand until they
reach the desired color. For emptied eggshells, stir or
rotate for even coloring. With the spoon or wire egg holder,
remove the eggs to a rack or drainer. Allow the eggs to dry
thoroughly. Within less than two hours, refrigerate
hard-cooked eggs that you intend to eat.
If you'd like a shiny finish, rub the dyed eggs with a bit
of cooking oil. You can also use food-safe white glue to add
natural decorations, such as beans, seeds, small pasta
shapes or large pieces of spices. Be creative and experiment
to express yourself in unique ways.
For other egg-decorating ideas, visit www.IncredibleEgg.org.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Easter Recipes
 
Easter Basket Standee Each
Easter Egg Standee Set/4
He Lives Cross Craft Kit Pkg/12
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