Easter Eggshell Crafts for Children

After spending so much time and care coloring all those pretty Easter eggs, it seems a

shame to throw away all those shells. Here are three Easter egg shell crafts that will enable the children to keep those pretty colors in the home year round, two from cooked and colored Easter eggs and from eggs especially colored for the craft.

The first two, the eggshell vase and picture, can be easily done by children pre-school age and up, while the last one, the eggshell tulips is easiest for slightly older children because it requires finer motor skills. 

Eggshell Vase

Supplies

• Crushed Eggshells (varying colors) that have been rinsed and dried.

• Vase or bottle (glass milk bottle, juice bottle, etc.).

• Glue that dries clear, such as Elmer's non-toxic school glue.

• Large bristled art brush (inexpensive type since this is just for glue).

Directions

1. Place eggshells in a paper or plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Using the brush, cover the outside of the vase with glue.
3. Apply the crushed eggshells to the surface.
4. Allow to dry.
5. Brush a coat of glue over the eggshells, allow to dry, and then brush on one more coat.

Fill with spring flowers – or the eggshell tulips described below!

Egg Shell Painting

Supplies

• Poster board or other stiff paper.

• Crushed eggshells (varying colors) that have been rinsed and dried.

• Clear drying glue (such as Elmer's non toxic school glue.)

• Large bristled art brush (inexpensive type since this is just for glue).

Directions

1. Place eggshells by color in separate bags and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Draw a picture on the poster board or paper.
3. Decide which colors you want to use where. This will be similar to painting with numbers.
4. One section at a time, paint with glue and then apply the eggshell pieces. If they are finely crushed, you can sprinkle them on.
5. After your picture has dried, hold upside down to see if any eggshells fall off, and apply more to any empty spots.

Now you have a nice, cheery picture to remind everyone of Easter, even when it's cold and gloomy out!

Egg Shell Tulips

Supplies

• Eggshell halves obtained from cracking open raw eggs to use in cooking. These should be gently washed and allowed to dry. You may want to collect them ahead of time whenever you use eggs.

• Green pipe cleaners.

• White glue or hot glue gun (for faster setting and to be used by an older child or adult only).

• Tempera paint or Easter egg dye.

Directions

1. Paint or dye the eggshell halves to resemble tulips.
2. Allow to dry.
3. Optional: Using fine tip markers or a fine tipped paint brush add details.*
4. Fold the end of a green pipe cleaner into a spiral shape.
5. Glue the spiral to the base of the tulip. Leave to dry (white glue will take a few hours to set).
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for each tulip.

*Looking at real tulips or close-up pictures of tulips will provide inspiration for the details.