Ember Grant
At the Spring Equinox, day and night are equal in length, but the light continues to dominate, bringing new life to the land. Eggs are a classic symbol of rebirth and new beginnings. These two crafts can be combined into one project, or done separately
Artistic Eggs
You can have decorative eggs that last forever by drying out real eggs and painting them. You can use any kind of eggs for this project, but white ones may be best for painting purposes. If you don’t want to decorate an entire dozen, many stores sell eggs by the half-dozen.
Materials
Real eggs ($2–$6)
Acrylic paint ($2–$10, depending on how many colors you use)
Push pin or tack
Paint brushes
Optional: assorted ribbons, glitter, rhinestones, etc.
Cost: $5+ (depending on your choice of supplies)
Time Spent: including preparation and drying, several hours to a day
First you need to empty and dry the eggs. It’s fairly easy to hollow out an egg, and there are variations of the method, depending on personal preference. Basically, you need to poke a hole in each end of the egg; you can do this with a push pin or tack. Some people put a piece of tape on the each end of the egg in order to reduce the risk of creating cracks. I’ve had success both ways.
After you carefully poke a hole in each end of the egg, you’ll need to gently blow air through the egg in order to push out the insides. You can use a straw if you wish, but you don’t have to. If you don’t want to waste the egg, empty the contents into a bowl—then you can use the eggs in baking or scramble them.
Once the egg is empty, run water through it; you can simply hold it under water running from the faucet. Then let the egg dry several hours or overnight.
Now it’s time to decorate it. Of course, it’s thin and fragile, so you may want to arrange a holder for the egg so it doesn’t roll around. You can cut an empty cardboard paper towel or bath tissue holder and make a ring for the egg to sit in. You can push a wooden or metal skewer through it, too, but that may risk breakage—it depends on the size of the holes in the egg. Don’t worry about the holes for now; we’ll address how to conceal those later.
There are endless ways to decorate these eggs! For an easy and vibrant look, use acrylic paint and add glitter. Try using a solid color, then add glitter while the paint is still wet. One of my favorite techniques is to use light blue paint, like the color of a robin’s egg, and glitter in blue, silver, or iridescent shades to make it sparkle. When the paint is dry, you can glue ribbon onto it as well.
Another idea is to draw on your egg with markers and add magical symbols. If you’re feeling ambitious, try to re-create the look of a Fabergé egg design. You can display your eggs in egg-cup holders, if you have them, or make ring stands out of cardboard.
If you want to hang your egg, thread a ribbon through it and tie a knot at the bottom. One way to accomplish this is to thread the string or ribbon all the way through the egg using a long needle or large paper clip.
To cover up the holes in the egg, you can put some masking tape over them before you paint, or affix decorative rhinestones or stickers in those places. Or, you can simply strategically place the egg in an arrangement so the holes don’t show. You can use the basket you made at Imbolc—just add some moss and convert it into a nest to display your eggs; this makes a lovely altar decoration. You can also give these eggs as gifts. One lovely way to display your egg is by adding it to a spring floral arrangement in a decorative flower pot.
Decoupage Flower Pot
Prepare for the upcoming planting season by making a special flower pot. You can use it to start your first seeds of spring, or use it to create a silk or dried arrangement. These also make wonderful spring gifts, centerpieces, or altar decorations. Since we’re going to apply paper to the pot, use caution if putting it outside. There are ways to make decoupage items waterproof, so you can take that extra step if you wish.
Materials
Terra-cotta planter, approximately 4–6 inches tall ($2–$10)
Assorted decorative scrapbook paper ($3–$10)
Mod Podge Hard Coat ($7)
Brush or sponge (price varies)
Optional: seeds, potting soil, silk floral supplies, etc.
Cost: $12+ (depending on choice of supplies)
Time Spent: several hours to several days (allowing for drying time)
Choose paper that features designs and colors for the season, and tear the paper into pieces and strips in a variety of sizes. Make a few long strips for the top part of the planter, and make larger ones for the rest of the pot. Tearing the paper rather than cutting it gives the edges a more interesting and rustic appearance. If you’ve never created a decoupage project before, it’s really easy—just don’t overthink it! You’re going to glue the paper in patches onto the pot, overlapping them somewhat. It’s okay to have a few bare places where the terra cotta shows through. Scrapbook paper works well for this project because it’s thick enough to work with, but not too thick that it’s hard to adhere to the surface.
First, make sure your pot is clean and dry. Review the specific directions on the Mod Podge container before you begin; you need to be sure to have the hard coat type. You’re going to decoupage a section at a time.
Begin by brushing on a thin layer of the glue, then add the paper and press it down, followed by another layer of glue over that. Then proceed with another piece of paper, and so on. Allow each coat of glue to dry (about twenty minutes) before adding a second and third coat of the glue.
The finished product will have a “patchwork” look, unless you decide to cover the entire pot. You can glue a ribbon onto the pot as well, or add other decorative features. Once the project has cured over several days, you’re ready to fill it!
Use it as a traditional planter if you’d like, or combine this project with the Artistic Eggs project and make a lovely floral arrangement that features one of your decorated eggs. To do that, place a small piece of floral foam in the bottom of the pot and add some silk or dried leaves and flowers of your choice. Stuff some decorative moss around the base of the flowers. You can attach a decorated egg to a wooden skewer and stick it into the foam if you like, but I prefer to just nestle the egg in the moss at the base of the flowers (this is also a good way to disguise the holes in each end of the egg). You will end up with a simple yet elegant seasonal centerpiece for your dinner table or altar.
I used soft, muted shades of pale green, gray, blue, and mauve that matched the paper I used on the flower pot, and let my bright “robin’s egg blue” glittering egg give the arrangement a pop of color.