Eggshell Planters

Go green this spring with eggshell planters for your favorite spring flowers or plants. But first, you'll need to blow out your eggs so they're hollow.

What you'll need ~

Fresh eggs
A clean bowl

A large, clean needle or safety pin
A plastic drinking straw*

Blow out the eggs ~

Take your needle or safety pin and poke a hole at the top (narrow end) of the egg. Don't be afraid to exert some pressure - the egg can handle it.

Next, poke a hole on the bottom of the egg. Wiggle the needle around inside the egg to help break up the membrane and yolk. Widen each of the holes a bit, and hold the egg over your clean bowl.

*Due to the safety issues present in raw eggs, this method of blowing out eggs avoids direct contact. A drinking straw seems to do the trick, as would an ear syringe from the drugstore.

Blow through the straw into the top hole of the egg until the fluid comes out. You may need to shake the egg gently and insert the needle again to break up the yolk further.

Once the egg is empty, cover and refrigerate the whites and yolks and use them later in a well-cooked egg recipe (i.e. quiche or omelet).

Now, sanitize your eggshell in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can proceed to dye them using our natural dye recipe or you can leave them as is.

Make the planters ~

Now that you have a nice hollowed-out eggshell, you can carefully remove the top of the egg. Take your clean needle and poke at the existing hole until it starts to widen and crack.

Then, use your fingers to tear away bits and pieces until you have a big enough opening to insert your plant or flower.

Take a small piece of cotton and lay it in the bottom of the eggshell. Next, gently transfer your plant and soil into the egg. The cotton allows for mess-free drainage.

--- This project was created by Erika Pitera, the managing editor and art director here at ZEST