When I started to make pysanky seriously, I bought Pysanky Master, Helen Badulak’s book, Pysanky in the 21st Century. In it she describes using up to nine coats of VARATHANE (Polyurethane Oil based) varnish on her pysanky. I ordered a box of six small cans of Varathane from Home Depot. To avoid wasting any of the varnish, I distribute one can at a time, into small plastic bottles(as you see in the picture).
You are working with flammable and noxious vapors. Read the
precautions on the can of the Polyurethane before you start. Consider finding a room with no open flames, good ventilation and a low dust environment.
You are working with flammable and noxious vapors. Read the
precautions on the can of the Polyurethane before you start. Consider finding a room with no open flames, good ventilation and a low dust environment.
Use Disposable Gloves to apply the varnish-pour about a teaspoon of varnish onto one hand, rub the hands together…pick up your pysanka and roll it around in the varnish on the gloves. Next stand the pysanka on a drying board(see the next picture below). Let the pysanky dry for the next 24 hours. I think of this time as “curing” the varnished egg.
The Pysanky in the Photo Are Drying on a Board for 24 Hours
For an Unblown Egg-Your could varnish eggs that are unblown, but you would only apply one coat of varnish; this would allow the egg to breathe, avoiding an explosion while the liquid egg is drying out, over time.
For a Blown Egg-I like to apply up to 6 coats of varnish for each pysanka. First, I drain the egg after the wax is removed and the pysanka design and dyeing is completed. I let each coat of varnish dry inbetween, allowing for a minimum of 24 hours per coat. I think of this time as “curing” the varnish on the pysanka. Most of the time, I wait until I complete about five pysanky and then varnish them all at once, as you see here.
For an Unblown Egg-Your could varnish eggs that are unblown, but you would only apply one coat of varnish; this would allow the egg to breathe, avoiding an explosion while the liquid egg is drying out, over time.
For a Blown Egg-I like to apply up to 6 coats of varnish for each pysanka. First, I drain the egg after the wax is removed and the pysanka design and dyeing is completed. I let each coat of varnish dry inbetween, allowing for a minimum of 24 hours per coat. I think of this time as “curing” the varnish on the pysanka. Most of the time, I wait until I complete about five pysanky and then varnish them all at once, as you see here.
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