I would like to share with you some of the resources that we used for our lessons.
This wonderful site and kit are what I started with. I ended up ordering all our supplies here. Helena, the woman who you will probably talk to if you call their store with questions, is as friendly and helpful as can be.
She is also a masterful artist and sells her creations on the site.
I looked up some fascinating and strange folklore behind this tradition on wikipedia and google to share with the kids. This book was also helpful.
I liked how the women of the house would prepare all day for their evening of egg creation. They spent the day cooking and cleaning, thinking good thoughts and being extra kind to their families. Then, that night when everyone was asleep, they would congregate at the kitchen table, spread out their things, and work late into the night chatting with the other women and designing unique eggs.
Each color and symbol has a meaning. Each egg was made especially for a certain person in mind. They were given as gifts, and used to bring good will to the homes.
1. Blow out the egg and clean it.
2. Use this beginner design as a starting place for decorating.
(I found that my farm fresh green/blue eggs took the dye much better than the
white store-bought kind.)
3. After dying, finalize your egg with a coat of glossy varnish. We wore plastic gloves for this step.
Our group took 3 meetings to complete our eggs. They turned out very pretty. I'm always impressed by the work these kids do.
Eggs can be "displayed in many forms of wire egg stands, baskets, egg plates, brandy snifters, egg cups, shot glasses and even rubber washers."
"Do not display in direct sunlight or atop fireplaces."
"Store in a cool dry place in a regular cardboard egg carton, not in an airtight container."
-Eggs Beautiful by Luciow and Kmit