If there is one thing we get excited about here at REDD its color. If you own any of our fine knits or our quality water color prints, you know color is the glue that binds us. Color is what REDD is about and Easter eggs are all about decoration and color!
The decoration and coloring of Easter eggs to further enhance their value became an art form centuries ago and continues today. Dyes made from vegetables, edible flowers, fruits, coffee, tea, leaves, bark, and roots were used to tint the eggs.
Note: If you are adding your own artistic color to eggs, always be certain you use food-safe dyes when there is a chance the eggs may later be eaten.
Here are a few of the different ways eggs have been and are decorated and colored:
• Etched: Traced back to Macedonia, this process involves dying the egg, applying a layer of wax in a design, then bleaching off the color leaving only the wax-covered areas with color.
• Krashanky: The Ukrainian word means color, and these eggs are dyed a solid, brilliant color, often REDD to symbolize the bloodshed by Christ on the cross.
• Pysanky: The term comes from the word pysaty, meaning to write, and this describes how the egg is decorated. Intricate designs are drawn in wax on the eggs, a process closely related to batik. The eggs are then dyed many colors. Ukrainian artisans are famous for their pysanky.
• Fabergé: Probably some of the most famous and most expensive Easter eggs known are those created by Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé in the 1800's. The eggs were made of gold, silver and jewels and most opened up to reveal exquisite tiny figures of people, animals, plants or buildings. A total of 57 eggs were made. These are obviously museum artifacts of high value.
• Binsegraas: The Pennsylvania Dutch traditionally wrapped the pith of the binsegraas, a type of rush, in coils which were glued to eggs. Then interestingly-shaped scraps of calico cloth were pasted on the egg. The Polish use colorful rug yarn formed into elaborately-designed coils, although they, too, originally used rushes.
• Jeweled: Designs are created by gluing any manner of sequins, beads, flowers, etc., onto blown eggs.
• Cut-Out or Carved: Blown eggs are used also for these creations where a portion of the shell is cut away. The exterior is decorated, and the inside filled with a little scene to be viewed through the cut-out section. These can be exquisitely elaborate.
• Calico or Madras: Eggs were wrapped in calico or madras cloth and then boiled. The water released the dyes from the cloth and transferred to the egg. Since most modern cloth is colorfast, these are rarely made nowadays. This type of egg is not to be eaten, due to the danger of the dyes.
No matter the style of egg enhancement you choose touse this Easter, make sure you are doing this with the whole family, as even the littlest of artists are sure to enjoy the fun!
