Czech Easter Eggs (Kraslice) – How to Decorate Eggs Step by Step
Czech Easter Eggs (Kraslice) Step by Step
From blowing out the egg to wax, onion skins and scratching – the whole process in one place.
What you’ll need for your Easter eggs
- Eggs – raw ones to blow out, or hard-boiled if you want to dye them quickly and use them straight away.
- A needle or small drill and a straw for blowing out, plus a bowl for the egg contents.
- Dyes – food colouring for eggs, or natural ones: onion skins (brown to rust), red cabbage (blue), turmeric (yellow), beetroot (pink).
- Vinegar – a spoonful in the water sets the colour and helps the egg take it better.
- Depending on the technique: beeswax and a writing stylus (wax batik), a knife or scalpel (scratching), rush, straw or napkins and glue (appliqué).
- A light oil or a piece of bacon fat for the final polish – it gives the egg a shine.
Czech Easter eggs step by step
Expect your first egg to be a practice one. Take your time with blown-out eggs – the shell is more fragile than it looks.
- 1. Blow out the egg – Make a hole at both ends (a smaller one at the top, a larger one at the bottom), pierce the yolk with a needle and blow the contents out with a straw. Rinse the shell with water and vinegar and let it dry.
- 2. Degrease the shell – Wipe it with vinegar or spirit – otherwise the dye takes unevenly and leaves blotches.
- 3. Dye it – Use classic dye according to the instructions, or a natural brew: boil onion skins for 20 minutes and dip the eggs for 10–30 minutes depending on how intense you want the colour. The longer, the darker the shade.
- 4. Choose a decorating technique – Wax batik – draw a pattern with hot wax, then dye the egg; finally remove the wax over a flame. Scratching – scratch a pattern into a darkly dyed egg with the tip of a knife. Appliqué – glue straw, rush or a napkin onto the dry shell.
- 5. Let it dry and polish it – Wipe the finished egg with a drop of oil or a piece of bacon – the pattern stands out and the colour deepens.
- 6. Thread and hang it – Thread a ribbon through the blown-out egg with a matchstick or a bead as a stopper.
Natural dyeing: onion skins, cabbage and turmeric
Natural dyes give the loveliest shades and cost nothing. Onion skins create a warm brown to rust, red cabbage a surprisingly deep blue, turmeric yellow and beetroot pink. The method is always the same: boil the ingredient in water for 20–30 minutes, strain the brew, add a spoonful of vinegar and leave the eggs in it depending on how intense you want the colour – from ten minutes to a whole night in the fridge. To make a pattern, place a parsley leaf on the shell before dyeing and wrap the egg in a stocking: a light spot stays under the leaf.
ArtMoment creative workshopsIf you’d like to create with an instructor
You’ll dye your Easter eggs at home this year. At ArtMoment you can try spring crafts that last longer than an eggshell – pottery, moss terrariums, kokedama or the ArtLab action studio.
- One-day pottery class (ArtCeramics) – a mug and a plate made with your own hands, 2 490 Kč. pottery class →
- Moss terrarium (ArtTerra) – a forest in a jar that needs almost no care, 2 490 Kč. moss terrarium making →
- Kokedama (ArtKokedama) – a plant in a moss ball, 2 190 Kč, Prague. kokedama →
- ArtLab action studio – pendulum, pouring, splashing – from 499 Kč/hour plus canvas and paints, Prague and Brno. ArtLab →
- Painting on ceramics – instead of an eggshell, decorate a mug or a plate – and it lasts for years. painting on ceramics →
- Open-date gift voucher – when you’d rather not choose for them: valid for 6 months for all experiences in more than 20 cities, delivered by email within 5 minutes. voucher →
Tips that will save your nerves
- Blown-out eggs float – weigh them down with a spoon while dyeing, or just dip them in the brew.
- Let the dye dry on a horizontal rack, not on paper, or the egg will stick.
- The wax must be hot but not boiling – otherwise the pattern runs.
- For scratching, a dark, intense colour works best; on a light shell the pattern gets lost.
- With kids, choose stickers, the napkin technique and food colouring – leave the wax and knife to the adults.
ArtMoment spring workshops
A one-of-a-kind workshop where you make decorative moss terrariums in jars. 2 490 Kč
More about ArtTerra
Abstract creating – pendulum painting and other unusual techniques. from 499 Kč/hour plus canvas and paints
More about ArtLabFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – CZECH EASTER EGGS
Make a hole at both ends – a smaller one at the top, a larger one at the bottom – pierce the yolk with a needle and blow the contents out with a straw. Then rinse the shell with water and vinegar and let it dry.
Onion skins give brown to rust, red cabbage blue, turmeric yellow and beetroot pink. Boil the ingredient for 20–30 minutes, add a spoonful of vinegar to the brew and leave the eggs in it for anything from 10 minutes to overnight, depending on the intensity you want.
A blown-out, dry egg lasts for years if you store it in a box with paper or cotton wool. A boiled egg only lasts a few days.
Decorating with napkins or stickers and dyeing with food colouring. Leave the wax and knife scratching to the adults.
Easter egg decorating isn’t part of our offer. Our spring crafts are pottery, moss terrariums, kokedama and the ArtLab studio – we add new dates every week.