Preparing Egg Shells for Decorating

Blown Out Eggshells

Painted Easter Eggs

Decorated eggs are to Easter what a decorated tree is to Christmas. The season wouldn't seem right without them.

This is the time of year when tons of eggs get boiled, dyed, and decorated, and then displayed in colorful arrangements - in baskets, as table decorations or on "Easter trees".

For centuries, egg decorating has been a work of art - I am not talking about simply dipping eggs into dye, but rather more complex artistic decorations.

Eggs have been painstakingly hand painted or covered in multiple layers of dyes applied by using a wax resist technique to create intricate designs.

If you've gone to all that effort, you probably don't want anyone to crack and peel your work of art just to eat a hardboiled egg! As well, if you leave the egg inside the shell before decorating, it will rot in a very short time. You need a method of cleaning out the egg so that the shell you have so painstakingly decorated can be enjoyed for years.

Maybe this is why a great brunch feast of scrambled eggs and other breakfast goodies is so popular during the Easter season. Decorating blown-out eggs is a fun craft and makes works of art out of something that, most of the year, would go down the garbage disposal or in the compost heap.

Blown Out Eggs

To create a blown-out decorative Easter egg, first you must blow the egg out of its shell. Be sure to do this over a bowl. You can then use the egg for breakfast or baking.

To blow out an egg, simply poke two holes in it, one at either end, lengthwise.

The hole for the egg contents to exit should be about a quarter of an inch in diameter. The hole you blow into can be smaller. Be sure the implement you use is washed clean first. No need to sterilize because the eggs you save will be cooked until firm.

First, poke a hole with a thick sharp sewing needle, pushing through the shell gently, and with very light force. You do not want the eggshell to fall into shards.

Then, use a larger item to enlarge the hole. A knitting needle, bead reamer, skinny screwdriver or small awl work well.

Once the first hole is completed, follow the same process to create the second hole in the other end of the egg, holding the egg up slightly above eye level, so you can see what you're doing without spilling the egg all over the counter.

It helps to make sure you puncture the yoke before trying to blow it out. Finally, hold the egg over the bowl, and blow into the top hole. Be sure your grasp on the egg is not too tight or it will crack.

Blow hard enough so that the egg comes out of its shell, but not so hard that the entire shell breaks, in which case you will have to start all over again.

Cover and refrigerate the bowl of egg whites and yolks immediately. Use within three days.

Once you've emptied the shells, you need to remove egg residue from the inside of the shell to prevent mold and bacteria from forming.

Fill the sink or a large bowl with warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Submerge each shell to fill it with soapy water and shake. Let sit for five minutes, then drain the water. Empty each eggshell and rinse well. Set aside to air dry.

Once the egg is decorated, you can hide the hole by gluing on small bits of tissue paper that matches your decoration.

To learn Easter egg decorating methods, visit Decorating Easter Eggs.

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