How to Etch Easter Eggs: A Ukrainian Tradition

Most people have seen the lovely Ukrainian and Russian Easter eggs that can be found for sale during the Easter holidays, but only slightly lesser-known form of egg decoration is etching. Etching is a beautiful and non-toxic way to decorate eggs for Easter or for gifts at any time of the year.

You do need a few inexpensive tools for etching your eggs. You will need at least one kistka - a wax tool for egg decorating. Kistky (plural for kistka) are inexpensive and easy to find online at Ukrainian egg-decorating shops. I like to have three kistky: small, medium, and large. If you do not want to purchase a kistka, you can also use crayons. You will also need a small block of beeswax if you use kistka (most any candle wax will do) and one candle. Taper candles work best.

Etching is non-toxic, so you can decorate eggs that are intended for eating such as boiled eggs, or you can etch eggs that have been hollowed out. If you would like your etching to be in a different color, use brown eggs or dye your egg before etching. You must make sure to seal any holes in your blown eggs before using the dye or etching your eggs.

Before decorating your eggs, make sure that your hands are clean and washed well. Oil on your hands from your skin will cause unwanted marks on your finished eggs. Also be sure that your area is covered with newspaper so that you do not drip melted wax or egg dye on your work surface.

After you get good at etching your eggs, you will not need to draw a design on your egg first. For now, you may want to try drawing your design before etching. Use a pencil to draw on the designs and work absolutely as lightly as possible as the pencil marks will stay on the egg after it is etched. Never use an eraser if you make a mistake. If you must correct it, use a tiny bit of vinegar on a corner of a rag to rub it out. Do not rub too much. If your egg is colored, the vinegar will remove the coloring.