I have been delighted with results of colors I have tried and my friends have been thrilled to receive them as springtime gifts. The colors are very unusual -- gentle, earthy, soft, and very vibrant, without being harsh like artificial dyes -- and when I tell people colors come from plant dyes, they always want to know origin of each color.

To color these eggs, you boil eggs with dyestuff, rather than boiling eggs separately and they dying them.

Here are general directions:

1. Put raw, white-shelled, organically-raised eggs in a single layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. 2. Add a little more than a teaspoon of white vinegar. 3. Add natural dyestuff for color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, more dye you will need to use, and more dye you use, darker color will be.) 4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Quickly check eggs for color by removing them from dye liquid with a slotted spoon.

If color is as desired, pour off hot dye liquid and rinse eggs immediately in cold water to stop eggs from cooking. Continue to change water until it stays cool in pot because eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain and allow eggs to cool in refrigerator.

When a two-year old puts his chubby little hand in a tub of finger paint and happily smears all of colors together on paper or when he makes yet another ‘snowman’ out of play-doh, he’s creating. Granted, he will certainly tell you that his painting is his dad’s truck even though you ‘just can’t see it.’ The important thing to remember is that by allowing our little kids to experience art in their own way, we let them show us how they see world around them, how they feel and think.