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Decorating Easter eggs

Decorating Easter eggs is an ancient tradition. As a symbol of fertility, they're perfect for bringing to mind the coming Spring and new life. But egg decorating is so much easier when your eggs are prepared properly.

Here is a list of the things you'll need to carry out this simple procedure:

  • Large pan
  • Vinegar
  • Paint brush
  • Watercolors or dye

The first overall goal is to hard boil your eggs. It's not mandatory, since it is possible to paint on or dye fresh eggs. You can even pierce them and blow out the egg. But they're much less fragile hard boiled.

Take care not to cook your eggs by placing them in already boiling water. The temperature difference makes it almost certain that the shells will crack. Instead, place the desired number of eggs into cold water and put the pan on the stove. The water should just cover the eggs.

Adding a teaspoon of white vinegar will allow the dye to soak into the shell a little better, covering them more evenly and thoroughly.

As the water heats, the inside of the egg heats gradually, hardening the contents. Edible eggs can be done in as little as five minutes. But eggs meant for decorating should be given a few extra. Don't overcook, since that too can lead to cracking. But make them extra firm to stand up well to handling.

Turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool gradually until both the water and eggs are room temperature. This takes about 20 minutes.

Now remove the eggs carefully from the pan and place them gently into a bowl. Put the bowl into the refrigerator and let them harden further for at least an hour.

Remove the bowl and let the eggs reach room temperature again. Now they're ready for decorating.

Watercolor paint is one excellent way to paint the eggs with any design you want. They soak into the shell well, but it may take several coats to get an even appearance, if that's desired.

Dye kits are another, very convenient way to decorate your eggs. Many have multiple colors, stencils and other drawing aids.

To make a solid color is simplicity itself. Just place the egg into a small cup with the dye and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to dry on a paper towel or cloth. You will want to toss the cloth or reuse again only for Easter. Don't expect to get it clean again in the washer.

To make duo-tone eggs, use the little wire holder that comes with the kit and dip one end into one cup for a few minutes. Allow to dry, then dip the other end.

Using stencils, you can mask off and apply a number of colors to a single egg. But, it can get tricky when you try to do more than three. Beyond that, hand painting is the way to go. One way to produce eggs that resemble fine marble is to mix a bit of vegetable oil into the dye. Then, the dye sticks in a marble pattern that makes outstanding looking Easter eggs.

Enjoy!