Blowing Eggs for an Easter Tree

Sitting around a table with a group of children blowing eggs out of their shells is an amusing way to spend a warm, spring afternoon amid comments of "Yuk" and "Ewww" and "Gross" not to mention the comparison comments.

The operation is a 2-hole process that requires a bit of a light touch.  My preference is to use my trusty X-acto knife by planting the tip of the blade in one spot on the pointed end of the shell and twisting the knife back and forth.  Others at the table used an ice pick.  It was certainly faster but I had fewer accidents. The sharp edge of the X-acto blade acts pretty much the way a drill does but you are in control of the pressure and go at a much slower pace.  Eventually, there's a bit of eggshell "sawdust" and a grinding sound to be heard just before the tip of the blade pierces the shell completely.

Enlarge the hole slightly by twisting a bit more and repeat the process at the opposite end of the egg.  Next, insert a wire or a straightened paperclip into the egg and wiggle it around quite a bit.  The object is to break the yolk and mix the egg contents up as much as possible.  Then, lean over a bowl and blow.

While the color tablets are dissolving, there is time to rinse the insides of the eggs with water to clean them out as much as possible.  Then, dye as usual.  Just be aware that the empty shells want to float so they need to be turned or spun in the cups of dye.

The children had just as much fun dying and decorating these lightweight, delicate eggs as the hard boiled kind.  And, they were not as fragile for little hands to handle as one might think.  The twig for their tree was about 3' tall and held almost 3 dozen eggs. 

My twig was much smaller, holding one dozen eggs, and stands in a bud vase.

Ribbons or yarn or pipe cleaners can be used for hanging.  They can be threaded through and knotted (like I did) or hot glue can be uses to simplify things.  It's a pretty little decoration...a pleasant activity for adults as well as children.

It was a good day.