If you decide to decorate your own Ukrainian Easter Egg (Pysanka), you will need the following supplies:

• White eggs – raw, free of any imperfections, at room temperature
• White vinegar
• Pencil – #2
• 4 containers to hold the dye
• 4 teaspoons (to lower and remove the eggs from the dye)
• 1 set of food coloring (yellow, red, blue, green)
• Q-tips
• Needle
• Egg drying board
• Oil-based polyurethane
• Candle, lighter or matches
• Paper towels
• Egg Decorating book or design samples
• Ukrainian Easter Egg decorating kit, or
• 1 fine point stylus (kistka)
• 1 large point stylus
• 1 cake of beeswax
• 4 dyes – yellow, orange, red, black

The whole process of decorating a pysanka consists of twelve basic steps (the above display shows all the major steps from left to right, with the exception of the totally black egg once it comes out of the black dye). I have chosen a very basic egg design for the first egg, and if you purchase an egg decorating kit, you will find several other designs to choose from for your next projects.

Step 1 – Prepare your dyes per the package directions.  Cover your work area with newspapers or paper towels. Have your candle and lighter ready when needed.  Clean your egg by wiping it gently with a soft cloth dipped in 1 cup of water mixed with 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar.  Let the egg dry off.

Step 2 – Using the #2 pencil, gently draw the main lines of your design on the clean egg (you skip this step if you are comfortable enough drawing with wax instead).  Now go over your penciled lines with the stylus (kistka) filled with warm, liquefied beeswax.  Be careful not to drip any wax on your egg since the dye will not adhere to the shell in that spot.  If you do have a drip, you need to scrape it off really well, using a needle tip (for beginners, I would suggest just leaving it as is until you become more proficient).  To get wax into your stylus, you scrape it against the cake of wax until the funnel is filled with wax, then hold it over the candle flame with the stylus tip pointing down, and then as soon as the wax starts to melt, you start drawing with it on your egg.  The stylus needs to be heated often to keep the wax flowing.

Step 3 – Dip your egg in Yellow dye for at least 10 minutes. Make sure your dyes are cold before placing your egg in them.  Use a teaspoon to gently remove your egg onto a paper towel and pat it dry.  Let it dry for a few minutes.  Follow these steps after each dye.

Step 4 – Using the #2 pencil again, draw the lines that will be yellow in your design, then go over them with wax as above.  To color the inside section of the star, use a toothpick or Q-tip, dipped in green food coloring.

Step 5 – Dip your yellow egg in Orange dye, and keep it there for at least 10 minutes.

Step 6 – Draw all the lines that you want to be orange, and go over them with hot wax, as in step 2.  Also, use hot wax to fill in all parts of your design, which will be orange.

Step 7 – Dip the orange egg in Red dye, and keep it in for at least 10 minutes.

Step 8 – Draw all the lines you want to be red and go over them with hot wax, as in step 2.  Also, use hot wax to fill in all parts of your design, which will be red.

Step 9 – Dip the red egg in Black dye, and keep it in for at least 15 minutes or longer.

Step 10 – Remove the egg from the black dye, pat it dry with a paper towel, and bring the egg close to the side of the candle flame to melt the wax, one small area at a time, and use a clean paper towel or a tissue to keep wiping off the melted wax, exposing the beautiful colors of the design.  Continue this process until all the wax has melted and has been wiped off.

Do not place the egg over the flame to avoid a dark, smoky soot deposit on it.

Step 11 – Your Ukrainian Easter Egg decorating is finished now.  You can leave it as is, or to preserve the vibrant color from fading over time, you should cover it with oil-based polyurethane and let it dry overnight on a special egg drying rack. You can

You can make your own drying rack by using a thin piece of plywood, drawing a grid to fit the eggs, and placing thin nails from the bottom to the top of the board, so they stick out at least one inch above the board, creating a 3-to 4-prong support for each egg to be suspended from to dry for 24-48 hours.

Step 12 – The inside contents of these eggs eventually dry out on their own.   However, to speed up the process, it is best to empty it manually.  Make a small hole at both top ends of the egg (you can use a skinny drill, tapping it gently with a sharp tool), then, using a special tool or just using your mouth to blow it, until all the fluid is expelled. Stand the egg on the egg dryer rack with the whole downwards, to let any remaining fluids drip out.

Once you have completed all the above steps, your plain white egg magically transforms into a beautiful Pysanka.

Now you are ready to start another one.  Believe me, you will not stop after just one.  You will be hooked on this craft, challenging yourself each time to a more intricate design.