We tried Pysanky (Ukrainian Egg decorating) for the first time this year. At 5 and 7 years old the girls were a little young, but they enjoyed the decorating process. For those who've never done this and think it might be fun, be warned that it is VERY time consuming! Removing the wax and blowing the eggs is the most labor intensive and must be done by an adult. There are also risks since you must use raw eggs (boiled shells don't hold the wax or dyes properly). Press too hard and a big mess happens. Rub the wax too hard and a big mess happens. Poke the hole to blow it and the whole egg cracks, destroying your hours of work, and another big mess happens. All in all it was a success, as long as you don't count the 3 burned fingers, one sleeve on fire, 7 broken (while raw) eggs, and the fact that I stayed up until 1 am in the morning trying to remove all the wax while going blind staring into the candle flame. All that for just 5 surviving eggs. But again, it's all about fun for the kiddies.
A working carefully on her egg...
Little K deep in concentration, trying to draw a monkey on the curved surface of her egg.
My mother's hands, hard at work on her first Pysanky.
My mom, always up for a new craft as long as it doesn't aggravate her carpal tunnel too much. She made 2 eggs and will be resting her hands until next year. Now I'm off to apply another coat of varnish to our 5 eggs, outside, where I will not be inhaling!
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