ORNAMENTED EGGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21763, 31 March 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

ORNAMENTED EGGS

NOVEL DECORATIONS QUAINT EASTER SURVIVAL The Easter'egg is a comprehensive conception. Onco it had something to do with chickens, and once it looked like a real egg, even if its colouring did not bear out the resemblance. Once upon a time Easter eggs had to be lv nted for. and then were eaten for b.eakfast. They seem to have been real eggs, since no well-brought-up child could think of eating chocolate for breakfast. But Easier eggs nowadays hatch out into the most surprising objects.

In many countries it is still the custom to decorate real eggs, however, in various pretty ways. It is quite easy to do, and makes a delightful surprise for the children. You must boil the hard first; and make quite sure that they are perfectly clean, as any greasemark will spoil the eflect. The easiest way of decorating is with a plain colour. First dip the egg in water, so that it will take the colour evenly, thou dip it in any dye or tint you like. If you prefer to make your own dyes, cochineal will colour tho eggs red. Boil the egg with onions and it will come out amber, and spinach juice will mako it green. * Children love to have eggs with their names written on, and this is not at all difficult to manage. Take a piece of mutton suet, sharpen it to a point like a pencil, and write the child s name on a warm egg. Then dip the egg in the dye, and the writing will remain white while the rest of the egg takes the colour. When the colour is dry you can remove the grease. You can also draw any pattern on the egg by using grease in this way. Geometrical designs, chickens, rabbits; boats, etc., make tho eggs look very pretty. Another good way of ornamenting the. eggs is by painting faces on them in water-colours. Make a little hat from crepe, pa.per, glue it on, and your egg is transformed into a cheeky pierrot. Upright paper ears will turn an egg into a rabbit. A brown egg would make a splendid Red Indian, with a headdress of bright paper feathers. Two wool plaits stuck under the rap wili give you a Dutch girl; and you can easily think of ways in which to turn the eggs into the children's favourito nursery characters. For instance, liiimpty-Dumpty's eggcup is a small tin box of appropriate size,' covered with a hit of red-brick dolls' house paper, which you eari buy from a fretwork shop. In order to give him. the appearance of sitting on the wall rather than in it —as is actually the case —the missing part of him, plus arms and legs, is drawn on paper, cut out and pasted to the front of the box. Jn the good old days it was no unusual sight to see one child with dozens of coloured eggs—gifts from numerous relatives and friends. Tho eggs were hoarded till Easter Monday, when the children rolled them toward each other, find - the child whose egg. cracked with the. impact must forfeit has treasure to the victor. The on© who broke most others was proclaimed champion.