Crafts & Activities for the Spring Equinox

Scratch Magical symbols, runes, etc for what you wish to have *grow* for the year. A crayon is a quick and easy way to make the symbols of your choice before adding egg to the coloring.
Be sure to wash the eggs before dyeing otherwise the color will rub right off due to the eggs natural waxy coating. Add vinegar to the dye to set color.

Natural Egg Dyes

Blueberries: blue
Blackberries: blue-violet
Beet juice: red
Red onion skins: red
Brown onion skins: yellow-orange
Turmeric: yellow
Walnut Shells: dark brown
Cranberries: red
Red Cabbage: purple
Carrot tops: green
Carrot Tops:Yellowish-Green
After the eggs are dyed, dip them into white vinegar to set color.


Patterned Eggs

Fir or Pine needles
Dandelions
Daffodils, buttercups or other Spring flowers
Cover egg with your choice of the above in desired pattern. Cover egg and flowers with brown onion skins and secure everything by tying cotton string around egg. Boil until eggs are hard-boiled.
The American Egg Board also has a great page on natural dyes for eggs, photos included!


Candle Eggs

Eggs (uncooked)
Sharp Nail
Old Candles or Paraffin Wax
Wicks

Hollow out several eggs by gently poking a small hole in one end of each egg. Rinse clean and set the eggshell in the egg carton. Melt the wax and wax coloring in a double boiler over low heat. Place a funnel over the opening of the egg and carefully pour wax into the hollow eggshell in the carton. When the eggshell is full, insert a wired wick into the egg, centering it with a piece of tape for support. Allow the wax to cool and harden, then break off the shell and buff the candle with a soft rag. Heat the bottom end of the candle to soften, then press on a flat surface to make it stand up. or use a candle holder. Variations: You can use several different colors of wax, layering them. Let them cool between colors. Add glitter or metallic confetti to make the egg sparkle. Color the wax with old color crayons instead of buying wax coloring. Be sure shell is dry before pouring in wax.

Source: author unknown-found on an egroup

Pysanky

Feel ambitious? Try Pysanky-a beautiful Ukrainian (and pre-Christian)egg decorating technique.

Pysanky Instructions for Pagans

Magickal Pysanky -Pysanky are powerful magickal amulets. Traditional pysanky incorporate ancient symbols of fertility, prosperity, and protection. In olden times, an egg might have been decorated for protection and given to a loved one. Blue lines particularly protected against fire. Eggs with wheat designs were planted in the soil for abundant crops. Eggs decorated for prosperity were kept throughout the year, and so forth. Encircling bands of color represented the eternal cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Solar crosses represented the union of male and female, or spirit and matter. All symbols on the egg had meaning, from the obvious -- wheat for fertile crops -- to the obscure -- ladders for different planes of existence.




Papier-Mache Ostara Eggs

Blow up the balloon (large, for decorations and games and small, for party favors and little gifts), tie, and cover with newspaper strips dipped in wallpaper paste mixture. Lightly dampen the newspaper strips or squares with water first, so the strips lie flat and mold closely. Leave an opening at the tie for filling the egg later. Continue covering the balloon with paper mache, allowing each thick layer (2-3 layers) to dry overnight in a heated place. When dry, fill the egg with candy, notes, poems or small toys. Add confetti or scrunched-up tissue paper to take up space and reduce weight within the egg. Cover the opening with more paper mache and allow to dry. Paint the egg in festive Ostara colors, pastels and rhythmic designs. Finish the egg with tissue paper flowers and crepe paper or ribbon streamers. Or, cover the surface with glued-on squares of tissue paper (first made to stand on end after wrapping over the flat end of a pencil) like an Easter parade float. Source:http://members.internorth.com/~wiccan/seasons/ostara.htm#crafts