Have you ever used a white wax crayon while coloring eggs for Easter? I have! 

It’s a fantastic wax-resist technique that helps you achieve fine lines and interesting color and pattern combinations. Well, there is a similar egg decorating technique from the Ukraine that takes it one step further!

One of the most fun things to do in the spring holiday season is decorating Easter eggs. There are a million and one ways to decorate an egg, but this event is geared towards a very detailed batik-esque technique called pysanky. 

What Is Pysanky?

Batik and pysanky are both dying techniques where a series of dyes and wax resists are applied to the surface of an object (either fabric or the shell of an egg) to control how the dye is absorbed onto the surface.

The effect achieved is unique - with its sometimes wide outlines, blocks of color, and gentle fades. The term pysanky comes from the Ukrainian verb “pysaty,” which means “to write.” This is because the artist uses a special tool to “write” with wax on the egg before dying it with each color.

Image source: Pinterest

You can make this technique into its own event, or include a pysanky egg dying station at your next egg decorating party. It’s easy to include this technique as part of your Easter party festivities, or make the whole event only about teaching and learning this new technique.

So here’s how to get started…

Materials

•Hard Boiled Eggs (have residents bring their own!)

•Pure Beeswax Block

•Tea Candles

•Kistka 

•Dyes in Cups

•Spoons

•Pencils

•Heat Tool (optional)

•Paper Towels

•Pins

•Pencils with erasers

**TIP** Rather than buy the materials separately, look for Ukranian egg decorating kits on Amazon. Most come with multiple kistas, batik egg dyes, and the beeswax - all for around $20 per kit. 

The Process

The trick with pysanky wax resist techniques is to layer dyes and wax resist. You’ll need to help residents start with the lightest colors (and white) and end with the darkest. Here are additional step-by-step instructions for creating a simple striped design.

In addition to the kistas, you can also use the “drop-pull” method. This uses a needle stuck into the eraser of a pencil and dipped in hot wax to make small dots, drop shapes, and dashes. 

These wax marks can be combined in interesting ways to make elaborate textures and intricate designs. Including the drop-pull technique at your event will ensure more people (without kistas) can participate.

Other Alternatives

In some cases, having candles and melted wax at your event won’t work in your community. Or maybe you want to add other safer options for children and older adults. Thankfully, there are other simple ways to achieve similar batik-like effects.

Use white crayons or wax resist sticks to draw on the eggs. You can also paint watercolor frisket (found at your local art store) directly on the eggs with small brushes to achieve similar results.

Gathering your community to celebrate and dye up their hard-boiled eggs is a simple yet fun activity for all ages and is suitable for all different ages of residents. Happy coloring!