Folk Art Easter Eggs For The Yard

I loved the conversation hearts in the yard. I'm definitely going to make a fifth one for next year (and it'll be great to not feel like I'm rushing through it). As I say that, I realize I've rushed a bit with this latest project - Easter eggs for the yard. 

It comes from the same problem I have with yard decor from stores - it all seems too small or too cutesy. Or sometimes even creepy. Or just straight up weird (I don't feel the need to look at a bunny's butt? Not sure why Pinterest has so many options for that). 

Last year my husband and I were taking a walk and noticed a house with a wooden Peep cutout and a lot of what I do now is because I saw that. I hadn't seen anything like it in a store and I thought they made it themselves. It felt too late for me to try it at the time so I held off on experimenting with woodworking until Christmastime. 

This year, I still liked the Peep idea but I thought decorated eggs that can be seen from the street might be more my style. Originally, I thought they'd just be striped or polka dotted. Maybe a chevron design. But then I thought about Ukrainian-style eggs, or Pysanky. I began looking for some examples that seemed easier for a newbie. 

But then I thought, "wait I'm Hungarian and Czech - maybe there's some examples from my own cultures." And there most certainly are. 

I got my plywood from Lowe's once again and had them quarter the slab (it's easier to transport that way). Creating the template for the egg was harder than I thought. I probably should have done more math but due to time constraints, it was more freehand than I had intended it to be. 

In Eastern European cultures, the colors usually have meaning, but the color schemes I picked don't really have a significance other than I thought they would look nice. I liked the idea of a pastel background with a corresponding jewel-tone design. 

I'm not sure how long it took me to finish the eggs, but I finished listening to The Midnight Library and The Westing Game on the Libby app. The Midnight Library was so good I think I need to buy it in hardbound. The Westing Game also holds up nicely - I read it in 6th grade and hadn't thought about it too much until recently. For a book for that age group, I think it's great for adults too. 

When I finished the ones for the yard, I also painted one for a bookcase in our living room - I found the plywood egg at Target, but it was the only one. I like it so much I want to make more - I got more lumber and I'm just going to cut out my own and paint this weekend.