HINTS TO HOUSEWIVES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 April 1924, Page 7

HINTS TO HOUSEWIVES

DECORATING EASTER EGGS

In the old days it- was a common practice to decorate’ eggs for Easter. Names or simple designs were drawn in pencil on the shell. The parts inside the lines were coated with a little fat that had been made liquid by heating. The egg was then immersed in vinegar for about twenty minutes. At the end of that time the acid of the vinegar had eaten away much of the shell that was not protected by the grease. Thus the figures on the shell stood up plainly in relief, the effect being similar to that of a piece of carved ivory. A very pretty way of printing coloured patterns on eggs was carried out in this way. A small jacket of calico with a hold design, was fitted oyer the eag before boiling. When the time to tidee up the egg arrived the material was removed and the design was found t„ have been prettily printed on the shell. . , By boiling eggs in water with a good amount of onion skin the shells became bright orange. Pink eggs are produced by being boiled in vinegar in which chopped beetroot has been placed. By soaking parslev leaves in water overnight. and then boiling the mixture with the eggs, it becomes possible to have shells of a bright green shade. T