Inspect your eggs.  Look for any obvious cracks. Hold them up before a bright light (“candle” them) to find smaller, less obvious cracks. Discard any cracked eggs.  Also discard any eggs with large weak spots (translucencies)  in the shell.

Wash your eggs with warm water (room temperature) using Ivory dish soap.  Scrub off any dirt with a Scotch-Brite or similar scrubber/sponge.  Pat the eggs dry gently, lay them out on a dish towel or other absorbent surface, and let them dry off.

Definitely NOT the way to store or dry your eggs!

Assess your eggs. Inspect them closely. The egg is your canvas, and, if you are going to put several hours of work into it, you must choose the best canvas possible.

Check for shape and surface irregularities.  Discard any irregularly shaped or asymmetric eggs, and any with lots of bumps or ridges on the surface.  A small bump or two can be worked around, but it is difficult to apply a design to a badly pocked egg. Eggs that are regular but oddly shaped (very long or very round) may not be suited to the particular design you have selected, so be wary.

Look as the surface, assessing the finish and pores.  A satin-like finish is best, and will usually absorb dye nicely.  A shiny surface may not.  Avoid eggs with deep pores, selecting for those with small, barely visible pores.

Pay attention to discoloration of the shell.  Odd colored eggs (e.g. blue or green Araucanas) may be fun to work with, but might result in odd colors. Eggs with small discolored patches should be avoided, for this might ruin the symmetry of your designs.

Keep your eggs at room temperature.  Don’t use eggs which feel cold to the touch or which have sweaty shells.  Wax won’t stick properly to cold eggs, and may flake off.  Sweating may cause the dye to come off, resulting in a blotchy surface.  Make sure your eggs have come to room temperature before using them, and keep them at room temperature while using them.

Place your your eggs in a paper egg carton or leave them resting on a soft surface (e.g. towels) while you work.  Make sure your eggs can’t roll away!!!!!

The ones that rolled away!!!!

3 Previous Page        Next page 4

Back to Main Preparations page

Back to Main Pysankarstvo page