Easter is around the corner- which means it’s time for one of my favorite DIY holiday traditions- marbled Easter eggs! For those of you that have purchased my kit here is a little tutorial on how to make Easter eggs that will be the talk of the town.
Step 1: score some eggs.
In years past I’ve done this with real eggs and had good results. But last year I got hip to the artificial wooden egg and it was way less work plus, I found I had more control over the egg as I rolled it through the surface of the design in my tray. Wooden eggs are easy to find on the internet but farm supply stores also sell them.
*If you use real eggs*: white eggs produce a brighter color palette but you can also use a brown or green eggs if that’s what your chickens are laying.
I highly recommend you hollow out the egg by blowing it first (google it) because chances are high that you will want to keep these eggs forever once you marble them and hard boiled eggs have a very limited shelf life.
Step 2: prepare the marbling size
Following the recipe in my marbling guide, mix up a 1/2 gallon of size. Be sure to prepare your size well in advance of your plan to marble to allow time for the liquid to thicken and dispel any air bubbles. Allowing it to thicken overnight in the fridge is best.
Step 3: pretreat the eggs with alum
Mix a small batch of alum following the recipe for paper in my marbling guide. Use a foam brush to coat eggs and allow to completely dry before marbling.
Step 4: marble the eggs
Marbling 3-D objects requires a different approach than paper and silk. You will need to roll your egg through the design in your tray to ensure the entire egg is covered.
Simply create the design as usual then hold your egg with both hands at opposite ends and lower it into your tray allowing the egg to come into contact with the bottom of the tray. Use your fingers to gently roll the un-dipped side of the egg through the design being careful to avoid the area that has been dipped. Some smudging is to be expected but also celebrated because you are a human not a robot and this a beautiful handmade artifact!
Step 5: rinse your egg in water
Because you have prepped your egg with alum it is safe to rinse water. Rinse egg in a bowl of water rather than under a stream of water from the sink.
Step 6: show off your creations!
Whether you use them in an Easter egg hunt, as table decorations for Easter dinner or as gift for the host of your Easter celebration these eggs are sure to delight.
HAPPY MARBLING 🥚