An Egg-cellent Hobby For The Fair

As an electrician Don Windseth, 59, of Plymouth depends on his hands. The same goes with his hobby.

It takes about eight hours to decorate one of his Ukrainian designed eggs, which he has displayed not only at his home, but also at the Minnesota State Fair.

Windseth won a blue ribbon last year in the beginner’s competition for decorated eggs at the fair, a hobby he didn’t think he would be able to do very well.

“I didn’t know they had a competition for decorated eggs at the fair,” Windseth said. “I didn’t think I had the ability, but anyone of any age can do this.”

He gets his supplies and encouragement at the Ukrainian Gift Shop in Roseville (once located in Minneapolis). It was employees there that said he was getting good and should enter in the State Fair.

“It takes a lot of concentration to do this,” Windseth said. “I wanted to be perfect, but I learned that it doesn’t matter because it’ll look good when it’s done.”

Shapes are the most difficult, especially round ones for Windseth, but he does best with making straight lines.

There are 12 parts to the creation of one decorated egg. Windseth busy hollowed out eggs from the shop often, but said farm fresh eggs or ones that have not been scrubbed will also do and you can hollowed them out yourself with the right tools.

The creation of an intricately designed egg is like a dance. There are templates that help you draw in pencil your design on the egg. Once the pencil is on the egg gets dyed in yellow as that is the lightest color and then you go from light to dark colors, using the beeswax that is put on the egg to separate where you want the colors.

You rub off the wax to get the colors to show, he said. The dye is water based to seal colors in with varnish by dabbing a gloved hand in varnish and rubbing it on the colorfully designed egg. Windseth uses about three to four coats of varnish.

He makes eggs for family and friends. He reads several books he bought that provide hundreds of design options and has step-by-step directions on how to decorate eggs.

Windseth started his hobby two years ago when he was out of work and soon he had around 40 decorated eggs, many sit in a basket and a few are on display at home.

“I didn’t know they had this at the fair because it’s in the horticulture building as you must use pure beeswax to decorate your eggs,” he said.

Windseth hopes to continue his hobby and honing his decorating skills. He already tweaks designs using people’s favorite colors instead the ones called for in the books and maybe one day see another egg with a blue ribbon at the fair.