First wash the eggs to remove any residue that would keep paint from adhering to the shell later on. Next you cut the shell by jabbing a hole with the point of your scissors and insert the scissor tip and begin cutting an oval large enough to allow working on the egg. I use a fairly large opening to make working in the shell easier. Once the shell is cut and you empty the egg into a bowl, you will need to rinse the inside of the shell and gently peel loose membrane material off the inside of the shell. The membrane will eventually dry out and peel so removing as much as you can will make for a longer lasting creation. I have some over 20 years old that still look new.

You can paint the outside first or the inside first, it does not really matter.. What does matter is allowing the paint to dry completely between these steps. I typically do all the insides first and place the shell into a regular egg box to dry, waiting at least a day. Next, to paint the outside I hold the shell with two fingers in the cut opening (very gently!) as I paint the outside, turning my hand around slowly until the shell is covered. To dry the outside I use wooden skewers to hold the shells up and away from any surfaces as they dry. I put the pointed end of the skewer in the jar and use the flat side inside the egg to avoid punching a hole into the shell.

I like trim material that is flexible and flat so it will stick fast to the shell when glued. I use a regular white craft glue and run a thin strip of glue around the cut opening and then wipe around with my finger to spread the glue in a nice even ribbon around the opening. Next I pinch the trim I have chosen to the shell starting at the bottom of the opening and going around slowly until I am back at the bottom. Then I put the egg down where it will not roll so I can snip off the trim to fit with abutting edges together showing little or no seam opening. I do not overlap the trim as that spoils the effect. Once the egg opening trim is dried for at least a couple hours I apply the hanging trim. On the hanging trim I put the glue on the ribbon, not the egg. I leave an inch or more in the center unglued as that is where the trim will not touch the egg. Measure your hanging trim first by wrapping ribbon at the widest part of the egg and leave at least an extra 3/4 inch of extra ribbon to allow for the gap at the top of your ornament. Choose a ribbon color to match the opening trim or the color you have painted your egg for the most coordinated final look.

Many of my eggs have extra scenes of sky, stars or other landscape elements painted in. If you want to add special effects, do that before glueing figures into the shells. When you are ready to add figurines, use your craft glue to secure part of a cotton ball into the bottom. You will then glue the figures onto the cotton ball. I put glue on the base of a figure and then position it into the egg. Once dry, you may want to sign your finished egg somewhere inside or on the outside. I hope you enjoy your unique designs as much as I do mine.

Happy holidays!