The Great Book of Egg Decorating

Author:  Grazia Buttafuoco & Dede Varetto

Edition:  1st

Format:  Large format paperback

Pages:  128         

Language:  English

Illustrations:  Many, color

Publisher:  Sterling Publishing Company  (New York, 2004)

Availability:  Yes  (Hardcover also available)

Acquired:  Amazon

ISBN:  1-4027-1160-3

This book, more than any other I own, proves the old adage that “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”  Even though the cover of this book features a dozen of what appear to be Ukrainian pysanky, nowhere in this book can you learn anything about them. 

This is, pure and simple, an egg crafting book, one which concentrates on embossed and drilled eggs.  Wax-resist is mentioned in passing, and only the Lemko-style drop-pull variety of pysanky is discussed.

There is a bit about cleaning and blowing out eggs, and a bit about decoupage and painting eggs, but otherwise the book has two main themes: how to make embossed/drilled eggs, and how to incorporate them in oh-so-cute elements home decor (wreaths, centerpieces, mobiles, etc.).  The instructions are quite detailed, and well-illustrated with nice photos:

This is not a particularly useful book for most pysanka artists, but might be of interest for those who are interested in learning a bit more about the mechanics of drop-pull, or those who want to expand their repertoire to include other forms of Slavic egg decoration. 

A collection of drop-pull motifs

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