An elegant and unforgettable way to wrap a present

Mimic one of natures miracles by giving jewelry, money, a small gift or an engagement ring inside a pretty eggshell that must be cracked open by the recipient. The broken eggshell may be kept as a memento of the occasion.

You will need:
1 egg per gift
Clear nail polish or white glue
Nail polish in color of your choice*
or spray paint/enamel

If making a speckled egg, choose a pale background color and brown or gold for the freckles.

*A nail polish color with iridescent sparkle is best to conceal the crack (the sparkle adds opacity). If your color of choice is translucent, do two or more undercoats with a glittery polish similar in color.

To open the egg

• Place egg on a plate large enough to catch the contents

• Use a small sharp knife to saw and cut into eggshell near the middle

• When you can insert the knife into the egg, twist slowly to produce a single crack

• Carefully separate halves of shell. You should have a single edge that fits neatly together

• Wash with detergent and warm water

• Air dry or blow dry with hair dryer

To enclose the gift

• Wrap valuable or fragile items in tissue paper to prevent jingling and protect from glue and paint

• Paint a layer of clear nail polish or white glue onto each broken edge

• Place the present in the bottom half of shell and carefully re-fit the two halves together.

• Hold firmly closed and paint clear polish or glue over the outside of the seam. After a minute or so, the egg will stay closed on its own.

• Set egg on the mouth of a bottle to dry

 

To paint the egg

• Paint one half at a time, leaving a dry area to set back on the bottle

• To avoid denting the surface, wait until enamel is thoroughly dry to paint the other side and set egg back on bottle

• Try to overlap and feather the edge to make a seamless finish

• When the crack is no longer visible and the egg has a smooth finish, you are done

• A coat of clear nail polish or varnish will add luster and protect from scratches

Optional Touches

• Tie a ribbon and bow

• Gift tag

• Glue on dried flowers or tiny rhinestones

• A sprinkle of glitter

• Lightly scent the tissue paper with flower and plant oil before wrapping present

• You can also paint the inside of the egg before closing to make a nice keepsake

• Add in some dried rose petals with gift

• To make a ring box, cut a styrofoam ball in half. On the flat surface of he ball, cut a groove to hold the ring. Push the center of a piece of fabric into the groove, wrap the remainder around the ½ ball, secure with pins or glue. Glue covered ball into bottom of egg. The weight of the styrofoam will probably make the egg stand upright on its own.

Good luck living green and giving green!

Happy Holidays,

Madoline Hatter

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