Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2008

Going from white to bright

Coloring Easter eggs doesn’t have to be a simple dye job. Spice it up with these creative techniques.

By ERIN WHITE
McClatchy Newspapers

We're not here to knock traditional dyed Easter eggs. Kids have loved 'em for generations.

But let's be honest -- by the time you boil the eggs, ready the cups and dissolve the tablets, the actual coloring is a bit ... anticlimactic. Plop, wait, scoop and repeat. They don't make much of a centerpiece for Sunday dinner, either.

Add a splash of pizazz to your Easter baskets and your decorating party by punching up the dyed-and-true method of egg embellishment with these alternatives.

Note: Instructions labeled "easy" are simple enough that toddlers can do them with supervision. Intermediate eggs work for about ages 5 and up, with adult help. Those labeled "advanced" are for the craft-happy and probably can't be completed successfully by anyone under the age of 10.

Scrapbook eggs (easy)

You'll need: acrylic paint, scrapbook stickers and ribbon

1. Paint the egg all over. (Or dye it.)

2. Let it dry.

3. Place stickers on the egg.

Marbled eggs (easy-intermediate)

You'll need: acrylic paint in at least two colors, a shallow bowl or pan filled with water and a hair dryer

1. Dip the egg in water. Don't dry.

2. Immediately dot paint in the desired colors on various spots on the egg.

3. Swirl the colors together with your finger.

4. Turn hair dryer on high and dry the egg for about 30 seconds or until the paint has started to set.

Stained-glass eggs (intermediate)

You'll need: colored tissue paper, craft glue (Mod Podge works well), newspaper and wax paper

1. Spread newspaper over the work area -- this one can get messy.

2. Tear the tissue paper into thin strips of different widths and lengths.

3. Mix 1/4 cup of glue with 1/4 cup of water in a shallow bowl.

4. Piece by piece, dip the tissue paper in the glue mixture and wrap around the egg. Continue until all of the egg is covered.

5. Put the egg on wax paper to dry. Turn the egg every 15 to 30 minutes so it doesn't stick.

Hydrangea eggs (advanced)

You'll need: silk or fresh flowers and craft glue

1. Choose the flowers you'd like to apply.

2. Make high-quality color copies of the flowers.

3. Cut them out.

4. Stick the flowers on the eggs using the craft glue.

Tie-dyed eggs (easy)

You'll need: an egg-dyeing kit, like Paas a plastic cup rubber bands of varying sizes

1. Prepare the dye. Add 3 tablespoons of vinegar for bright colors; leave it out for lighter colors.

2. Wrap rubber bands around the egg. Drop it in the dye and leave for at least 30 minutes.

Note: For two-color eggs, place the egg in one color for 30 minutes. Let it dry, wrap it in rubber bands and place it in the second color for 30 minutes. The marks left by the rubber bands will be the first color.

This method works best if you choose similar colors, like dyeing purple on top of blue or red on top of orange. If you're using one lighter color and one darker color, be sure to dye the egg the lighter color first.

Beaded elegance (advanced)

You'll need: seed beads a pencil a fine-tipped brush craft glue newspaper

1. Pick out the smallest seed beads you can find.

2. Lightly sketch your design on the egg. To make a striped egg, start at the top and draw a circle all the way around. Turn the egg 90 degrees and repeat, like you're cutting a pizza or a pie.

Continue until you have the desired number of segments.

3. Make a small pile of beads on the newspaper.

4. Apply glue to the design.

5. Roll the egg in the beads. If you're working with more than one color, do the egg in two steps. Apply glue to half the segments or dots and roll. Let the egg dry and repeat with the other color.

6. For an intermediate version, dye the egg first. Paint the entire egg with glue, then roll in one color (or a mixture of the colors) of beads. You may need to dot glue in the bald spots and roll again. You can follow the same process with glitter for super-sparkly eggs.

Adapted from: "Easter Eggs: 40 Fabulous Projects for the Whole Family" ($14.95, Chronicle Books)

For those on the hunt

Kiwanis Club

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Merced invites all children 10 and under to its 20th annual Easter Hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday at Applegate Park. The Easter Bunny will hide thousands of brightly colored eggs filled with candy or receipts for special prizes provided by community sponsors.

The Kiddieland amusement rides will also open at 10:30 a.m. For information, call (209) 761-7883.

City of Merced

It's some egg-citing fun coming up on Saturday for the city of Merced's annual free Spring Egg Hunt. The Parks and Community Services Department will hold the hunt and other activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stephen Leonard Park, at 7th and T streets. Age categories for the Egg Hunts will be 3 and under; 4 to 6; 7 to 9; and 10 to 12 years old.

There also will be face painting, bounce houses, games, treats and more. There is no charge for the event. For information, call Fritzi Martinez at (209) 564-0591.

Merced County Fire Station No. 82

The Merced County Fire Station No. 82 will host an Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday at McSwain Elementary School at 926 N. Scott Road. For information, call (209) 357-7203.