Eggshell Ornamants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do a lot of cooking with eggs... I try to blow out the eggs whenever I can throughout the year and save them up for kid craft projects. They are fun, easy and turn out really beautiful. 

To blow out a shell, I make a thin hole in the top point of the egg, and a larger one at the bottom. A sharp steak knife will do the trick. Once you have the holes made, stick a bamboo skewer in the larger bottom hole and scramble it up a bit. This makes it easier to blow out withough hurting your cheeks and making your ears explode.

Rinse the shells out and let dry thoroughly. When completely dry, glue a piece of tissue paper over the bottom hole. If it indents a bit, you can fill it with white spackle or artists modeling paste. When spackle is dry, sand smooth with a fine grit sandpaper. Dig out your christmas ornaments, and find the itty bitty christmas balls that you bought at the dollor store. Many times the tops of those ornaments are silver plastic and they pop off easily. Hot glue it to the top of your egg, add a string or hook to hold it. You can paint the eggs any color you choose with acrylic paint. We usually leave them white, and cover them with glue and then roll them in glitter. I don't know what it is about glitter, but it just makes everything more beautiful.

You can embellish them with beautiful trims and buttons and rhinestones if you like. My Christmas tree is covered with the ones my kids have made over the years, all white with different types of white or irridescent glitter.  Sometimes, I cover one in gold glitter and stick money folded up inside. I hide it in the tree and the kid who finds it gets to keep the money. Just be careful they don't knock your tree over trying to find it.

Another use for them is on an easter egg tree. Cover them with pastel paint and glitter for a festive easter tree.  I have done these with kids many times and they are always a hit...  The glitter makes them so beautiful.  Even little boys love this project.  Try it out and let me know how it went.  I would love to see photos of your own glitter egg projects...

*** Some life saving glitter tips..  I glue in one station, and pour the glitter in another area on to a piece of printer paper.  This way you can pour it back into your container and recycle it when you are finished.  Use small styrofoam meat trays when working with kids, but dump it out onto paper when you are finished so you can pour it back in.  Tried pouring from the tray once and had a glitter disaster.