AWAKENING | DIY Easter Eggs with Crayon and Dye

 Directions and Photographs by Carey London of Harlem Hill

Being a parent at this moment in time feels exceptionally challenging but I am finding it’s also an extremely grounding role to have amongst the chaos of the world. We still have the daily tasks of taking care of these little people who need us in abundant measure. The laundry, cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, playing, and learning still goes on. In a way that’s a blessing, the normalcy we are attempting to give them flows into our own days. There are still birthdays and holidays to try and celebrate with them, and one of our favorite traditions this time of year is dyeing our Easter eggs. It was especially welcome to have an hour completely immersed in an activity that has a certain element of surprise as you never quite know how these will turn out (very similar to my practice in watercolor). I’ve always found such beauty in that element of the unknown. It’s hard to let go of trying to control the outcome of what you are making but if you can, you might be amazed at what happens. 

This year we decided to stick with a simple technique of using crayons to first draw the designs on our hard boiled eggs before dipping them in the dye (here is a great natural dye kit). We loved the way the abstract lines popped against the blue dye (our clear favorite this year!) and started making rainbows as it really does seem such a beautiful springtime symbol of hope and rebirth. Grab some crayons and go crazy — Theo and I would love to see what you create, DM or tag us on Instagram @harlemhill and @newyorkmakers to share!