The Mystic Egg: Creative Recycling of the Ordinary Egg Shell

"Heaven is like an egg, and the earth is like the yolk of the egg."
--Chang Heng

Excerpt and concept taken from:
Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons by Tracey McBride;
published by Bantam Books, NY, NY 2000.
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The tradition of decorating the shells of eggs spans many countries and centuries. It is so diverse that the exact origin of this ritual is somewhat obscure. We do know that the egg has long been a symbol of the mysterious miracle of birth and renewal. The fascination for this ancient symbol continues into modern times, where eggs of all sizes and compositions continue to be dyed, etched, painted, bejeweled, decoupaged, and transformed into lovely decorative elements that impart a charming whimsy to tabletops and bookshelves, and are especially nice to display during the season of spring.

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Simple Creative Recycling:

The Decoupaged Egg Shell

Begin with a raw egg.

Hollow out the egg shell and sterilize.

Pull out those scraps of recycled gift wrap, hand made papers & Mod Podge (TM)

Decoupage and, if desired, ornament your hollowed-out egg shells.
Embellish them with air-dried foliage such as
rosebuds, air ferns, hydrangea blossoms & raffia strands.
HINT: The embellishments at the top also hide a larger than desired hole in the shell,
from an overly ambitious hollowing-out.

Display them singly...

...in a rustic egg cup.

Or, group them together as a table centerpiece.


The results are charming...


the process easy...


and


the eggs remain beautiful from year-to-year.


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Easter Eggs

Several years ago, I saw lovely vintage Easter eggs composed of cardboard and covered with the most enchanting floral papers. Unable to find these vintage beauties in my price range, I decided to try my hand at duplicating them by way of hollow eggshells, using scraps of pretty tissue and wrapping paper....and decoupage glue. The results are charming, the process quite easy, and the eggs remain beautiful from year to year.

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How To Hollow Out an Egg

It does take a bit of patience to blow an egg from its shell, but the process is a simple one. To do so, take a large sewing needle and press it firmly but gently into one end of a fresh, uncooked egg until you have made a small hole. With your finger over the hole, tilt the egg upside down and repeat the process on the opposite end, making sure that your second opening is wider than the first (about the size of a small pea). Blow through the smaller opening (over a bowl, of course :) until the egg comes out of the larger hole. [If you have trouble with the yolk coming out, you may want to pierce it with a long needle or toothpick.] Once the egg is empty, wash it well, using water and a few drops of chlorine bleach. Once it has dried completely [I usually give it a day or two if I'm using the shell for decoupage] you may decorate it as you wish. HINT: I cover the larger hole, using my glue gun, before decoupaging. These eggs should keep indefinitely (be gentle with them, however, as they are still somewhat fragile."
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