Seasonal

First, there were your children’s – or your own – simple graham cracker “gingerbread” houses made in boy scouts, girl scouts or other youth group organizations as part of the holiday craft making sessions. Then, you may have created gingerbread patterns yourself one year, baking sheets of house-shaped panels, and hosting a gingerbread house making party for your children’s friends in your own home (Click Here for a recipe, pattern and icing instructions).

The scent of gingerbread baking is certainly a seasonal favorite, and what is better than mixing up a little royal icing, purchasing your favorite candies – both holiday themed and otherwise – and using them to exquisitely adorn an edible decoration? (We say, breaking it all down again after New Year’s and gobbling it all up with your favorite cup of tea…)

For many of us, building and decorating gingerbread houses around the holidays was a first foray into the world of home design – albeit an exterior version.

Before The House, The Root

While the actual craft of artistically decorating gingerbread, and making it into houses, originated in Europe, the heart of gingerbread – the ginger root – is actually a native of Asia. That should come to no surprise for those who enjoy cooking authentic Asian recipes. At some point, most likely via trade routes, the spicy, sweet and aromatic ginger root piqued the interest of palates in other countries.

Initially, the Greeks and Egyptians bought and traded for Asian ginger root, which they baked hard and incorporated into various religious practices and rituals. These traditions continued for thousands of years until about the 11^th century when, as Steven Stellingworth’s The Gingerbread Book tells us, crusaders fond of the flavor brought ginger back with them from the Mediterranean to share them back home in Turkey; this was the beginning of the longstanding tradition of delicious gingerbread – covered with incredible, icing-based artistry.

Gingerbread Became A Favorite Of Medieval Europe Confectioners

Unlike any flavor they had yet to experience, medieval confectioners quickly began incorporating ginger into their bread and cookies. Gingerbread was quickly fashioned into all manner of shapes, most notably flowers, birds, and animals. Armor was also a popular shape, and ladies often gave their favorite knights gifts of gingerbread as a good luck charm. Gingerbread men may also have their origin in this early European life, as single women were known to eat “gingerbread husbands” as a way of helping to attract the real thing into their lives.

We know that Shakespeare was familiar with gingerbread. In his play, “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” Costard remarks, “An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy ginger-bread…” Gingerbread became a popular ware for street vendors in Germany, who decorated the dark, heart-shaped cookies with sugared messages and designs – almost like those associated with Valentine’s Day heart candies. Only, rather than “be mine,” or, “I’m stuck on you,” German gingerbread cookies said things like, “Du bist einfach super,” which means, “you’re really super,” or, “Alles was ich brauch bist du,” which translates to, “You are all I need.”

From this cookie-based artistry, the gingerbread house was born. In fact, it’s thought that Germans were the original gingerbread house makers, perhaps inspired by the famous Hansel & Gretel fairytale, which was set in Germany’s foreboding Black Forest. If you recall, that delectable house was built by an evil witch – entirely of candy – in an effort to entice poor, lost children into her home, where she baked them into cookies.

Today, gingerbread houses can be as sweet and original as those graham cracker versions I mentioned above, or they can be as grandiose as the ones entered into gingerbread competitions that take place around the world. Visit Newsweek’s coverage of Gingerbread House Day 2019, where you can see unbelievable gingerbread creations – and be inspired to make some of your own.

Easter egg dying is a spring time given in our home. Like pumpkin carving or gingerbread houses, it’s a tradition that has passed down through the generations. Growing up – and then when my kids were younger – dying eggs meant purchasing a PAAS kit and getting down to business.

As time progressed, and kids got older, we itched to do something different and new. That urge spawned all kinds of experimentation and research so we could create eggs that went beyond the water, vinegar and food coloring.

Beyond Food Coloring and Into the Eggs-Traodrinary

Here are some of our favorite techniques for creating dyed eggs that can become serious works of art.

Blown or hardboiled?

For years and years, I followed in the footsteps of my mother, hard-boiling dozens of eggs for egg dying day. This yields dozens of hardboiled eggs that are eventually eaten as snacks, in salads, and as egg salad sandwiches.

Then, I wised up. Blowing eggs yields permanent fixtures that can be boxed up carefully and displayed year after year. So, I highly recommend blowing a good third or half of your eggs (using the blown contents for scrambled eggs, frittatas and quiches. If sealed well, they will remain fresh in the fridge for up to a week or more) and then hard-boiling the others.

Use Colorful Permanent Markers

If you want to keep things simple, but different, start with permanent markers. Our favorites are Sharpie because you can get lots of them for a reasonable price (don’t forget the gold and silver) and they come in both medium, fine and ultra-fine points so artists can get as intricate as they want to.

We also have a tradition of personalizing dyed eggs for each member of the family, and the extended family if we’re going to see them for Easter brunch or a household egg hunt, and this is much easier with Sharpies than with clear wax crayons! To make it more artistic, we’ll cleverly weave their names into our artwork.

Glue and glitter or confetti

Some kids (and adults) are crazy for glitter and eggs are a perfect medium for it. While you can dye eggs first if you want, this is also a simple way to skip all that and use your white (or brown, or Arcana green) eggs au naturel. With a little glue stick or glue tape (traditional craft glue can be too messy if you’re trying to glitter designs, rather than the entire egg), and baggies of different colored glitter (confetti creates a fun effect too), you can make beautiful eggs with all kinds of different looks.

Temporary Tattoos

Have tweens? Purchase sheets of temporary tattoos and let them go to town (plan on having a temporary tattooed child after this one since it’s hard to resist). The eggs look fantastic and the motifs can vary from princess to hardcore rocker, which lends itself to all kinds of personal expression. If the tattoos don’t adhere perfectly, that’s just fine – it adds a retro, distressed look.

Twine or colored string

You can use hemp or natural fiber twine for a country or rustic look, or you can purchase baker’s twine in all kinds of colors or striped patterns. Use craft glue on a third of the egg at a time (I have found it best to move from the wide end to the narrow end of the egg), and carefully wind the twine around the egg. If you want to switch colors, simply cut the end of the twine you’re using and press it down into the glue, then start the new color by overlapping the end just a bit over the finished one. When you get to the top of the egg, dab another dot of glue at the tip of the string end and press gently to prevent the string from fraying or unraveling.

Washi tape

You can use colored or patterned washi tape by the strip, or you can cut them into geometric pieces to create a mosaic. You can even cut out hearts, stars, flowers and other shapes and mix washi tape décor with the marker, dye or other decorating methods for a mixed-media effect.

Modge Podge and anything

Modge Podge and anything (rhinestones, glitter, magazine cutouts, pressed flowers, etc.) will result in awesome eggs. If you’re going to go through all the trouble, use this idea on your blown eggs so the results are permanent and you can put them on display in your home next year, and the next.

Egg decorating is a wonderful bonding ritual and a fun way to get the creative juices flowing no matter what age you are. Have you and your family come up with eggs-traordinary designs?