Easter Egg Decorating Ideas and Tips

 

Picture Perfect: Print one-inch-square versions of your favorite snaps on white water-slide inkjet sheets. Spray with three coats of Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic to set the pix, apply trimmed images to dyed or spray-painted eggs, and display the results to your favorite little chicks.

Beat the Bunny to the Punch: Use simple-shaped paper punches to cut forms from painter’s masking tape. Smooth tape pieces onto clean, white eggs, and dye the huevos. Let eggs dry completely and remove tape to reveal lovely white patterns.

It’s a Wrap: Wrap blown eggs in spirals of colorful yarn, trim, ribbon, or rickrack held in place with clear-drying glue or paste.

Pop and Hop: Add 1 or 2 drops of food coloring to separate batches of the sugar syrup from your favorite recipe for popcorn balls, add popped corn, and form into colorfully corny eggs.

Go Natural: Toss two handfuls or more of yellow onion skins into a 4-quart pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the color of the water is deep brown. Position small fern fronds or leaves on clean white eggs and hold the greens in place with a rectangle of old pantyhose stretched over the egg and fastened at the back with a wire twist tie. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the pot and gently place as many wrapped eggs into the kettle as will fit without crowding. If using blown eggs, place a lightly weighted, heat-proof plate on top of the submerged eggs to ensure that they’re completely immersed in the dyeing liquid. Continue to very gently simmer the eggs for at least two hours, or for richest results, overnight. Remove eggs from the pot, allow to cool, and remove the stocking and foliage to reveal leafy imprints surrounded by a deep sepia brown.

Stripes: Rubber bands of varying widths, placed tightly around the egg, will leave strips of the under-color after dyeing.

Wax-Resistant Patterns:  Have your kids use a crayon to create desired image on a hard-boiled egg. The wax will repel the dye when you dip it, leaving your design. Mom can then place the dyed, dried eggs on foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet in 250 degree oven for 10 minutes to melt wax. Remove the eggs, then carefully remove residue with paper towels.

Animals: Create a bunny, hen, pig or even the family pet using the egg as the body and adding ears, tail, and so on. Pipe cleaners, yarn, paper cutouts, non-toxic markers and pompons will bring your critters to life.

Stencils: Tape small stencils to the egg and brush or sponge-on some colorful designs.

Shell Games: Use hollowed-out eggshells if you’d like to save your decorations for future use. And don’t let the egg insides go to waste. Enjoy them scrambled and topped with Old El Paso® salsa, add to Betty Crocker® Pound Cake Mix, or freeze them for another use.

Centerpieces: For an eye-catching centerpiece, try layering eggs and Easter grass, lasagna-style, in a wide-mouth glass vase (a large tube or cube works beautifully). Eggstraordinary!

 

Thrifty Home Made Wood Furnisher Polish

For one of the thriftiest green cleaners around, simply mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar and a couple of drops of olive oil. You can adjust the amount of olive oil, depending on how much moisture you want to put into your wood furniture. Just rub your homemade cleaner on with a cloth, and breathe easy (literally), knowing that this green cleaner won’t damage your health. Give it a try!

Halloween Deviled Green Goblin Eggs

PREP: 30 M1N., STAND: 1 HR.

For a festive look, serve in decorative Halloween cupcake liners.
6 cups hot water
1  (0.3-ounce) bottle yellow
liquid food coloring
1/2 (0.3-ounce) bottle blue liquid food coloring
1/2 (0.3-ounce) bottle green liquid food coloring
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
12 large unpeeled hard-cooked
eggs, with shells cracked
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper

STIR together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs, and let stand 1 hour. Remove and drain on paper towels. Peel eggs to re­veal pattern on whites.

CUT eggs in half lengthwise; care­fully remove yolks. Mash yolks; stir in potato flakes and next 5 in­gredients until blended.

SPOON the yolk mixture evenly into egg white halves. Attach 2 halves, gently pressing together stuffed sides.

Here’s A Tip For You – Actually Several

1-Get a wonderful shine for your hair by rinsing it with cool water and vinegar. Don’t worry about the smell; it goes away quickly, leaving your hair shiny and lustrous.

2-If you have mineral deposits in a narrow neck jar vase, try using a denture tablet. Add a small amount of water to the vase and drop in the tablet, breaking it up as needed. Let it sit overnight or as the package recommends and rinse well.

3-To freshen old plastic flowers, spray with hairspray.

4-To get rid of static cling on a skirt and slip, just pin a small safety pin to the inside of the hem.

5-If your small appliance has a long cord, try looping it and stuffing the excess through a cardboard paper towel or toilet paper roll.

6-Protect teeth on hand saws by covering them up in storage. Cut a length of garden hose to  fit the length of the saw, then split it down one side. Push the teeth of the saw into the split – an added benefit is you are also protected.

7-Want to keep your refrigerator operating efficiently? Try these two small tricks: First, clean the gaskets on the door, and replace them if they are loose. If you close a dollar bill in the door and can pull it out easily it is time to replace the gaskets. Then, stock empty space with jars or pitchers of water. Cold water is refreshing and helps keep air in your fridge cold.

Cranberry Vinegar For A Special Gift

Cranberries give mild rice vinegar a snap that celebrates salads.

Very berry, very red vinegar

LEAR VINEGAR BOILED WITH cranberries turns bright red and absorbs the fruit’s fla­vor. The blend makes attrac­tive holiday gifts in decorative bottles.

Splash the vinegar over salad greens, orange slices, raw or cooked red cabbage, and turkey salad.

Cranberry Vinegar
2   cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
3   cups rice vinegar
About 3 tablespoons sugar

In a 2- to 3-quart pan on high heat, bring to boiling cranberries, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Simmer, covered, until cranberries pop and are soft, about 5 minutes. Add more sugar to taste, if desired. Let stand until cool. Pour vinegar through a fine strainer into a container with a pouring lip; discard residue. Pour vinegar into decorative bottles, using a funnel if necks are narrow. Seal with lids.
Use, or store at room temperature up to 4 months. If an opaque film de­velops on surface, spoon it off or, to preserve clarity of vinegar, pour vin­egar through a fine strainer into a 2-to 3-quart pan and bring to boiling. Wash bottle, then refill with vinegar. Store as before. Makes about 3 cups.
Per tablespoon: 7.4 cal; 0 g protein; 0 g fat; 1.9 g carbo.; 2.5 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.