Posted on by Deb

Easter Eggs

Easter Eggs

The Kitchen Table

Fresh Eggs

“When we were children we lived in a story that we made up. But when I grew up the story wasn’t enough. I had to have something else, because the story wasn’t true anymore.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Our kitchen table top was made from packing crates. Covered with a plastic cloth patterned to match the seasons it is the table my mom still uses. My dad was in the Army and we had returned to the states after his tour of Austria and Italy. There were six inexpensive chairs purchased in Italy but there was no kitchen table. Sitting on my dad’s lap I banged my knees on the huge gray trunks that held up the makeshift tabletop before he added four proper legs at the wood shop at Fort Bragg. So much has happened around that kitchen table, the history of our family is embedded in every piece of scrap wood.

Dyeing Easter Eggs

I had planned to use food coloring to dye eggs. It’s so easy and inexpensive. I recall the anticipation of waiting the for the water to boil that sloshed into the haphazard collection of mugs and tea cups. Of the exquisite patience needed to accurately count the drops of dye as they cascaded into the cups. The long handled soup spoons that tumbled the eggs to vivid color. I long for a photo of the newspaper covered kitchen table splashed with dye and dozens of eggs that had been cradled by eight little hands. I was the one who wanted to mix a dozen colors. Even then I pushed at the boundaries, wanting more from my kitchen adventures.

Tumeric-dyed eggs

Essentials

In a mad dash through Whole Foods I impulsively bought a packet of Natural Egg Dye. I wanted to try lace patterned eggs and this technique for covering eggs with the designs from paper napkins. My lace patterned eggs were a dismal failure. The dye soaked through the lace without leaving a design. Although I am in love with my turmeric stained lace. The paper napkin technique is excellent! I also used printed tissue paper with great success. I preferred cutting the paper to match the shape of the egg rather than having a big wad of paper on the curved edges. This is a great way to decorate eggs without the use of dyes.

Eggs and spoons

Paper-decorated eggs

38 Replies to “Easter Eggs”

  2. what a beautiful post! i always enjoy reading about your memories…you frame everything so well, and it’s always so vivid.
    i love your eggs (and your turmeric lace!). sorry those didn’t work for you, but they all look quite lovely to me. I’ve always been scared to even attempt a ‘decoration’ of any sort on my own eggs: i just assume something will go wrong, but those paper napkin eggs i’m bookmarking for later. happy (belated) easter, Deb!

    1. Oh Jacquee! Thank you for the gracious comment, it brightened this gray foggy morning! Happy Easter!

  6. so pretty! even though the lace pattern didn’t turn out, I love that vibrant sunny-orange color. family memories at the table are the best!

  7. So pretty and evocative. We used to make eggs too. Blown and marbled ones. My mother was very creative and let us go wild with the decorating, but we never did lace. I am a terrible mother and think I have only done this once with my daughter . She is now 18 so I think that ship has sailed, unfortunately.

    1. Thank you for comment Kellie, much appreciated! Thank goodness being a mother isn’t a contest! LOL

  8. We had a plastic cover too Deb. I’ve been flicking up and down your pictures, your eggs are a very beautiful and sophisticated reminder of childhood Easter seasons. Lovely xx

  11. What a beautiful post, Deb. I have so many memories of dyeing eggs with my family when I was younger. We’ve tried so many techniques and kits throughout the years – tissue paper decoupage, marbling, glitter, etc. Some were hits, some were misses, but we always displayed them on our Easter brunch table. I’ve never tried the paper napkin route, but yours are so pretty I’m tempted to give it a try. Love the Easter grass in the cupcake liners, too!

    1. Thank you for the sweet memory laced comment Alyssa! Dying Easter eggs is such a joyful way to welcome spring.

  12. Such a fun project Deb-I haven’t even made hard boiled eggs in I don’t know how long!
    I love all your colors and photos-this is a great Easter project for the family 🙂
    Thanks for your inspiration and have a wonderful Easter!

    1. Patty thank you for the gracious comment! We enjoy hard boiled eggs for a quick, protein rich snack but the dying and decorating is pure nostalgia. Happy Easter!

  14. Aaahhhh – stunning photos as always. I could just look at them all day. I love the line about wanting a photo of the table – we capture everything now but growing up it was not always the case – so much more complicated to actually get to the photo on film. And my memory often fails me on details. Another lovely post Deb.

    1. Oh Beth your lovely comment brightened my cold foggy morning! You are so right about film and it was expensive for my parents. We have our memories and the emotions they evoke.

    1. Thank you for the lovely comment Denise! Dying Easter eggs always is a marker of the new season, spring!

  16. Deb, some of my best and favorite holiday memories are of Easter and coloring eggs. It was such a special time. I’ve never thought to decoupage an egg before but now that I see just how cute they can be, I will have to give it a try. And…oh what I would do to have the table from my childhood kitchen.

    1. Thank you for the gracious comment Mary! Growing up there was a time when I was ashamed of our kitchen table, now I find it beautiful.

  17. Your turmeric lace really is pretty – consolation for the eggs not turning out as you wished. Lovely photos!

  18. What a lovely post Deb. Here in northern Germany cute little bunnies and decorated eggs are everywhere . Happy Easter.

    1. Thank you Carol! Your gracious comment has brightened this cold foggy morning. Holidays are always so memory filled!

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