PIKKLES & ICE CREAM

Easter is a little over a week away, but you can still spend this weekend decorating eggs in a unique way.  I can't wait to try the melted crayon eggs with my kids! 

Melted Crayon Eggs

by NAOMI SHULMAN 

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  Total Time Needed:

30 Minutes or less

When the most humble of art supplies meets the shell of a just-boiled egg, the crayon wax softens, and the colors swirl together in a magical way. The results are fast, fun, and gorgeous.

Materials

• white eggs
• tongs
• empty egg carton
• crayons

Instructions

1. Hard-boil white eggs. Remove them from the hot water with tongs or a slotted spoon, dry them, and rest them in an empty egg carton or on plastic bottle caps (an adult's job).
2. Color them with the crayons' tips or remove the paper coverings and use the crayons' sides. For a speckled effect, grate a crayon and sprinkle the bits over the eggs. The waxy eggs are very slippery, so take care when turning them to color the underside.
3. When you're done coloring, leave them to dry for about an hour.

How to ... Make Leaf Print Eggs

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• Total Time Needed:

1-2 Hours

Instead of opting for the classic egg-dyeing technique this Easter, turn a new leaf with this reverse-stenciling method.

Materials

• Small flat leaves (we used fern, cilantro, dill, thyme, and mint leaves)
• Hard-boiled white eggs
• Nylon stockings, cut into 3-inch-long sections
• Rubber bands
• Water

• White vinegar
• Food coloring
• Large glasses, one for each dye bath (be sure they're wide enough to hold an egg)
• Spoon

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Instructions

1. Lay a leaf on an egg, then cover it with a section of nylon stocking to hold it in place.
2. Pull together both open ends of the stocking, then twist the ends together and secure them with a rubber band.
3. For each dye bath, mix 1/2 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 10 to 20 drops of food coloring in a glass. Carefully submerge the nylon-wrapped egg in the bath and let it soak for about 4 minutes.
4. Use a spoon to remove the egg from the dye bath and set it on a covered work surface. Carefully remove the rubber band, nylon, and leaf. Allow the egg to dry completely before further handling it.

Dye-ving Dudes

by NAOMI SHULMAN 

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Total Time Needed:

1-2 Hours

These hard-boiled snorkelers are fully equipped for a dip in the blue (or green or pink). For a hilarious centerpiece, display a row of the finished dudes sitting in their dye-ving tanks.

Materials

• Egg dye
• White eggs, hard-boiled
• Permanent marker
• 3/4-inch round white adhesive labels
• 1-inch-wide water-bottle lids
• Small rubber bands

• White glue or glue gun
• Flexible straws
• Self-adhesive foam
• Small clear glasses or bowls (optional)
• Small pitcher (optional)

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Instructions

1. For each snorkeler, dye the bottom third of an egg, then let it dry.
2. Draw eyes on a label and adhere it to a water-bottle lid. Slip the rubber band around the egg, about a quarter of the way down. Glue the lid over a rubber band.
3. Trim a straw 1 inch above and 2 inches below the flexible section. Bend it into a snorkel shape and glue it in place.
4. Cut foam flippers (trace our template ). Glue them to the egg, adhesive side down, and let dry. Stick the adhesive side to the display surface, or, if you like, to the inside of a small glass or bowl. With the pitcher, gently pour in dye until the egg is partly submerged.

Notes:

White glue is kid-friendly but requires drying time; using a glue gun is an adult's job.