Ukrainian Easter Eggs « Jen Loves Kev

Ukrainian Easter Eggs

Posted: 04.19.11

I had a really, really awesome art teacher when I was in high school. It made me want to be an art teacher myself. Anyway, we always did the coolest things. She taught us how to make paper, handmade journals, screen print, transfer images and then around easter she taught use about Ukrainian Eggs. It is a technique that is called Pysanky. Eggs are decorated using a wax-resist (or batik) method. There are very specific Ukrainian Folk Designs that are used to decorate these eggs. They really are beautiful. I still have my little tool and chunk of beeswax from high school that I use to make eggs every year.

1. Hollow out some eggs (hard boiled would work too they just gross me out, so I blow all the yolks out), get some food coloring and get yourself some beeswax and your Little Dipper Pen

2. The tool has a metal funnel to scrape wax and allow you to write with it after it is melted

3. Fill some glasses with hot water and vingear and get all your dyes ready to go
4. You will need a candle to melt the wax

5. Scrape wax into funnel
6. Heat in flame to melt the wax

7. Start to draw on your egg where you want white to stay. I decided to write Rowans name and make some little white polka dots.
8. Once you are finished drawing where you want to stay white. Dip in the first color. You will have to think thru your drawing as far as colors because you will be layering as you go. You wouldn’t be able to dip in blue first and then think you will get yellow down the line. I started in Yellow first. Dried it off after and then drew again with melted wax where I wanted the yellow to stay. Then I dipped in Red. Then drew again where I wanted the red to stay. Then finally dipped in Blue to make a purple color.

9. Anything nice about my nails is now over after sticking them in dye all afternoon. I felt like an art teacher again. Haha. my hands were always a mess when I was teaching.
10. When you are done dipping your eggs will look dull and dingy with all the wax on them. Here comes the fun part…

11. Hold your egg near the flame to melt the wax.
12. As wax melts wipe wax away revealing the vibrant colors below. Work your way around the egg until the whole egg is clean.

13. Make as many eggs are you want!

14. Your finished product will wow everyone as they wonder how you decorate such awesome eggs!!! It does take a while to make them, so be patient. I made two yesterday and then needed a break. I am going to try for a few more today.

Tools can be found at Dick Blick.

Comments (41)

Orchid Grey

04.19.11

my late aunt used to make these, we actually still have some of the ones she hollowed out first, beautiful! can’t wait to see you thursday!
Maria

04.19.11

You know that the quality alone of your images makes me want to go home “sick” and sneak to the arts and crafts store to get me some Ukrainian-style easter eggs? Beautiful post. Inspire us some more!
blogbytina!

04.19.11

ooh la la those are some fancy eggs! we would do something similar when we were little but we used a crayon instead… every egg i made said tina on it. I was quite the creative child.
Danielle

04.19.11

Jen, you are amazing. This is great and so inspiring!

Happy Easter <3
Emily

04.19.11

So cute!
megannielsen

04.19.11

that’s soooo cool!! Without sounding dumb – do you think this would work with wax crayon? (i don’t trust myself with melted wax!)
kelsey

04.19.11

Jen! Those are the most beautiful eggs I have ever seen. Rowan is so lucky
Mary @ stylefyles

04.19.11

these are amazing! LOVE, love, LOVE! pinning immediately! Thanks for sharing =)
Maria

04.19.11

awesome, would love to do that if I had kids. x
suz

04.19.11

these are really wonderful!!! i love them! <3
Chelsey

04.19.11

Wow. I’m TOTALLY and COMPLETELY loving this… I may have to try!
kileen

04.19.11

wow, these look so cool!! what a great project for Easter!

cute & little
come join the Color Brigade!
Robyn

04.19.11

ooh, these look so great, I totally want to try this!
punky

04.19.11

That looks so messy…I love it!
Pam@over50feeling40

04.19.11

Our school supports a Ukranian orphanage…I am going to show some of the teachers who over there your post! I think they will love it!! Thanks for stopping by my site!
steffy

04.19.11

omg they look amazing! i loved my art teachers through the years too

<3 steffy
Steffys Pros and Cons
Tasha

04.19.11

I actually go to a Ukrainian Catholic church and we make those every year for Easter. They are called Pysanky in Ukrainian and the “little dipper pen” is called a Kistka. I always have to be careful not to burn the egg when I take the wax off! I do every time! Yours look so good! Congrats!
Kathrine

04.19.11

That is so cool! I have never seen that done before. Thanks for sharing.
Laura

04.19.11

These are great, thank you for the tutorial. Our family blows eggs each year and decorate them with layers of tissue paper, sequins and glitter but I really want to try this!
xxx
erin

04.19.11

These are great. This is a tradition with my dad and I, and I’m actually driving to Philly this week to see him and keep it going. We have been doing it since I was a child, blasting tunes all night on Good Friday and dying about 2 dozen eggs. We do the hard-boiled because we give them away to friends and family after. We usually use a crayon but we have melted wax before and used all sorts of methods for our eggs, including squirting dye from one of my diabetic brother’s syringes!

I think I might use this bunting design on an egg this weekend, its too cute!
April, Everyday Forgotten

04.19.11

These look amazing! Great tutorial, I definately think I need to try it out!
Mallory

04.19.11

My art teacher hands are a constant disaster…but kind of the nicest disaster ever.
Michelle

04.19.11

Those are pretty Easter eggs!
KatelynLikesThis

04.20.11

I used to do this pisanki as a kid!
Elly

04.20.11

Wow! The end result is so pretty! I’d never thought about using wax like that. What a clever idea
Meli

04.20.11

We do this in Hungary, traditionally with beeswax and paint it with the outer layer of the onion. When they are done remove the wax and polish the eggs with some fatty bacon.
liz

04.20.11

These are incredible. I’m Russian, and some relatives of mine make eggs that look very similar, I think they’re probably using the same method. Beautiful
wishful nals

04.20.11

wow, these are amazing! so, so, so pretty.
Miu

04.20.11

It sounds like a lot of work, but the eggs look really cool!
Angel @ | 77inspire |

04.20.11

These are so wonderful. Great step by step. Never knew to use wax before… shoes how much i know about painting eggs
Tryston

04.20.11

Love them!!
Alba

04.21.11

The eggs are very cool but your nails OMG I love them. How did you do it?????????

Alba

http://www.fashionistaontour.com
Mandy Koster

04.21.11

You’re so creative, these look great!!
MENNEPEN
Sarah

04.21.11

These are so pretty! Love the bunting.

xo,

Sarah
kels

04.22.11

You’ve inspired me to dig out a pysanky kit that hasn’t been used in years. Hopefully mine turn out half as lovely as yours.
Delectable & Delightful « Mission Delectable

04.22.11

[...] everyone doing for Easter? I wish that I had the time or inclination to decorate eggs like this or this or this. So [...]
handmade goodies from the Easter bunny | | bella bambini design

04.22.11

[...] (L): Ukranian Easter Eggs from Jen Loves Kev. [...]
Anastasia

04.22.11

Those are so neat! The colors all go along so well and are really awesome looking!
Ashley

04.22.11

OMG, I LOVE how they turned out!!! I just might need to make a “grwon up” batch of Easter Eggs! Thank you for the tutorial.
-Ash-
Erin

04.25.11

Very cute eggs, we did a version of this when I was growing up but used clear or white crayon instead of melted wax. Love your designs! -^_^-
Grace @ sense and simplicity

03.04.12

I love the little banner egg. I just hopped over from the Ladies Home Journal article. We both used the traditional equipment to make Ukranian Easter eggs, but you put a more modern twist on the designs than I did. I love that.