Decorative Eggshells

Painted Egg Art

Ornaments dangle from various shelves, decorating the space with vivid colors and their natural beauty. 
The humble egg has many uses. It brings new life and sustanance. When ground, it can create pigments. After it's active uses are completed, it is composted back into the soil. Painted eggs have been a common tradition in La Chiave a Croce. They can be found hanging from trees, decorating shelves, and adorning massive centerpieces.

Appearance

While all decorative eggshells are made with the same foundation, the humble egg, their appearances and styles massively diverge beyond this point. From the mediums used in their adornment, the finishings chosen, and the style of artists, no two eggs are identically painted. 

How They're Made

1. Small holes are created on the top and bottom of fresh eggs. These holes can be made with toothpicks, needles, small drill bits, or anything else of a comprable size. You may need to work the hole to make it slightly bigger for the next step.
2. Over a bowl, gently blow the egg whites and yolk from the egg. Be careful, if you blow too hard, you could create a larger hole in the other side of the egg. Once the larger pieces have passed, increase pressure and insure you've blown everything out.
3. Rinse the egg with water. Isopropyl alcohol works here as well. 
4. While the eggshells are drying, why not have a scrambled egg, make an egg hair mask, or find another purpose for your leftover eggs!
5. Once the egg has dried, it's ready to paint. Acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and more can be used to paint the eggs. They can also be reverse dyed with wax or an alternate masking medium and highly pigmented dye baths. The possibilities are damn near endless. 
6. Finish off the eggs with wide bead caps and jewelry finishings to turn the eggs into ornaments.

History

Eggshells have been adorned with art for all of living memory. Given their fragile state, painted eggshells don't have a long shelf life, typically only lasting a couple generations.

Item type

Art

Rarity

Common

Weight

1 - 2 oz

Base Price

5 sp - 20 gp