Review of The Book Eggstravagant Easter Eggs by Maya Elston

In the world of enchanting holiday decorations, Easter eggs are not typically the first things that come to mind. But Maya Elston’s book, Eggstravagant Easter Eggs, beautifully demonstrates the charm and underappreciated art of egg decorating. From dyeing to adorning to intricately hand painting, this how-to manual has something for all levels of crafting experience. Elston first introduces us to the history of Easter egg decorating, including the religious and cultural foundations of the art. Egg decorating has come a long way from its humble origins, and today many egg substitutes made from natural and man-made materials are also used for decorating, with the pinnacles of extravagance in Easter egg embellishment being the Imperial Russian Fabergé eggs. After a brief account of some of the methods and materials purposefully missing from the book (e.g. wax methods, glitter, et cetera), Elston gives a few words of encouragement, then dives straight into crafting. The first few chapters deal specifically with selection of eggs/egg substitutes, tools and supplies, and techniques. The rest of the book then talks about different styles of decoration, such as simple polka dots, using lace, making egg figurines, and various ethnic pattern designs. Every chapter has colourful, clear pictures of examples, as well as descriptive instructions on how to achieve the chapter’s style focus.

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! I often do not have time for creative projects, but after reading this, I am excited to make time in my life for crafting hobbies. I particularly enjoyed the amount of quality pictures because they really illustrated how beautiful the finished products can be. Elston’s writing style is enormously informative, easy to follow, and encouraging, which was a wonderful touch when reading. The content was also fascinating, with many of the techniques being clever and allowing for exquisite designs with minimal effort. There were very few proofreading errors in the book overall, which I appreciated.

I honestly cannot say that there was anything in the book that needs massive improvement or reworking. “Chapter 2: Materials, Tools, and Equipment” was perhaps a bit wordy with heaps of information unnecessary to getting started, but as it was all useful information in the long run, I would not say to edit it, either.

I give this book 4 out of 4 stars as it was a lovely read, almost perfect in editing, and very well delivered. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys crafting, making things with their hands, or wants to do something special for next Easter. However, it is aimed at an adult audience, and some of the techniques very young readers will not have the patience for. Adult supervision is recommended for all the techniques described.