Decide on what you're looking to design, and what colors you're using.

Prepare Your Egg Dyes

- Mix up your egg dyes according to instructions. We actually used Americolor food coloring, guessing at the amount.

- If your dye instructions (assuming NOT using pysanky-specific dye!) don't include the addition of vinegar, I highly recommend adding some - about 1-2 tablespoon per dye cup.

This results in much more vibrant colors on the finished eggs. If you'd prefer to do pastel colored Pysanky, then skip the vinegar!

Cover your entire work surface with brown craft paper or newspaper - preferably a few layers, if using newspaper.

Put a good stack of napkins or paper towels at each seat - you will go through a ton of them!

Add 1 spoon to each dye cup, and line them up on your work surface, progressing from light to dark. Our dyes were ordered: Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black.

If you have food coloring bottles, dye jars, or anything else, it can be helpful to place them in front of their respective dye cups - for identification.

Set out your crayons and eggs, and you’re good to go!

If you are using any white in your design, draw that part of it onto the egg with a crayon.

Make sure that any lines or spaces that you want white are completely covered - you are using the wax to protect that part of the egg from subsequent dye baths!

Once you are satisfied that all of your white is drawn on, dye your egg in the lightest color you'll be using.

If you are not using white in your design, dye your egg in the lightest color you are using.

Allow your egg to sit in the dye for about 2 minutes, until the egg is the desired vibrancy.

Use spoon to remove egg from dye, pat - don’t rub - COMPLETELY dry with paper towels.

When egg is completely dry, use your crayon to draw on the design for the color you just dyed.

For instance, if your egg is now yellow, draw the yellow part of your design on with the crayon.

Dye egg in the next lightest color you're using.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Once all of your eggs are fully designed and have gone through their final dye bath, dry them all off completely (this is very important). We placed ours on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Heat your oven to 175 F.

Space your eggs out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. If the eggs are rolling around, you can wad up some paper towel between them.

Place them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, allowing the wax from the crayons to soften and melt.

Take one egg out, and use a paper towel to gently rub off the wax, revealing your final design.

Sometimes, not all the wax will come off on the first attempt. Just place the egg back in the oven for another few minutes, and rub it again.

Repeat - one at a time - until the wax is removed from all your eggs.