How To Make Blown Egg Christmas Ornaments

I have loved blown eggs ever since I was a kid. I grew up eating the blue and green eggs from Easter Egger chickens and I thought they were so pretty that I always want to save some! Most people think of blown eggs only as Easter decorations, but they are just as pretty hanging on a Christmas tree. This is also a craft you can complete with just items you have on hand: eggs, string or ribbon, glue, a nail & a toothpick!

There are two ways to blow eggs: manually using in the air from your lungs or with an egg blowing tool. Both are relatively simple and make a beautiful finished product. But using the tool is slightly quicker.

To blow eggs without using a tool, the first step is to wash your eggs. Once you dry them off you're ready to poke the holes. I find that it's easiest to use a thin nail. You don't want the holes to be noticeable and you don't want to accidentally crack your eggs. First make a hole on the pointy end of the egg by placing the nail firmly against the shell. Rock the nail from side to side slightly as you slowly apply more and more pressure.The nail should pop through the surface. Repeat this step on the other end of the egg. Once you have poked both holes, grab a toothpick. Insert it into one of the ends and mix the egg up inside. You want to be sure to scramble the yolk, otherwise the task of emptying the egg will be very difficult (trust me).

Now that the eggs scrambled, place your mouth over the whole on the wide end of the egg and begin to blow air in. The first few bits of egg are usually a bit harder to remove but once you get going it should come out relatively easily. If you're having trouble, scramble the inside the egg with a toothpick again. If you don't want to place your mouth directly on the egg, you can cut a small piece of straw to place over the hole. Be sure to keep the straw up against the egg so the air travels into the egg. Once the egg is empty, give it a rinse and place it in an egg carton to fully dry out.

To blow the egg using the egg blowing tool, all the items you need are in the kit. You'll have a small tool to punch the hole, which should be placed firmly against the eggshell with increasing pressure until it pops through. You only need to punch one hole in the egg if you are using the kit, so choose whatever spot you like. Place the small tube over the end of the pump and inserted into the hole in the egg. Keeping their thumb over the hole in the yellow pump, begin to pump air into the egg. It will empty faster if you make sure to aim the hole downward. Continue to pump until the egg is empty, changing the angle of the tube as needed. Using the pump you can even wash out the inside of the egg if you like. Fill the pump with a small amount of water, and squirt it back into the egg. Give the egg shake, then pump out the water. Rinse the egg and place it in an egg carton until it's fully dried. 

Now that your eggs are done, the hardest part is over! Now all you need is a glue gun and some thread or ribbon. Cut your thread or ribbon to the desired length and create a loop. You can tie it if you find that is easier. Using your glue gun, place a small drop of glue onto the tip of the egg (I like to cover up the hole!) and quickly place your thread or ribbon into the glue, pressing it down if needed. Give your glue a few seconds to dry and then you're blown egg ornament is done! Feel free to decorate the eggs further if you'd like. They are also amazing as handmade Christmas gifts!