Embroidered Eggs

I am still trying to pull together my packing and preparations for my trip tomorrow.  I am out the door in the morning for the Mom 2.0 Summit in New Orleans.  Read all about it through the banner over there on the right.  It’s going to be amazing I am sure and hopefully I will be bringing back a wealth of information and gaining a slew of new blogger friends.  I’ll let you know how it goes when I return.

Aren’t these eggs gorgeous?  I think they are such a unique way to decorate without using traditional dyes.  Definitely a little more time consuming, but the end result is amazing.

It’s from Brett Bara via Design Sponge.

What You’ll Need

• raw eggs I recommend using good-quality eggs, farm-raised if possible — they have much thicker shells than factory eggs.
• Dremel or other rotary tool with a diamond cutting disc and mini drill bit
• embroidery floss
• long, thin needles
• small, sharp scissors
• craft glue

1. Cut a hole in the egg

Now, I know what you’re thinking: you can’t cut an egg, it will shatter! Not true. Egg shells are actually quite cut-able with the right tools.

The trick is using a Dremel tool with a diamond cutting disc or other disc meant for delicate jobs. Hold the tool perpendicular to the egg as shown, and cut a round sliver from the edge of the egg. (The contents of the egg will splatter a bit, so do this over a sink.) I promise that with just a little practice this will seem easy and you’ll have nice, smooth cuts. Just give yourself a little time (and it doesn’t hurt to have some extra eggs on hand).

Note: the contents of the egg should not be eaten after cutting the egg with tools. If you want to save the egg contents, you can blow out the egg before this step – but this will result in extra holes in your shell.

Wash out the inside of the egg with a little dish soap and warm water, and allow to dry. Here’s how it will look when this step is done.

2. Mark the egg

Using a pencil, draw some guide lines for the pattern you plan to make on your egg. You can draw simple lines to help keep your pattern straight, or you can sketch your complete design right on the egg. (The pencil lines will be removed later.)

Next, place a mini drill bit in your Dremel tool. (Oddly, the bits I have are not labeled with size, so I can’t recommend what size to get. Just look for tiny bits that are slightly larger than an embroidery needle.)

Begin to drill holes in each spot where your needle will be inserted. This is really the only tricky part of this whole project, because the smooth surface of the egg makes it a little difficult to drill precisely, as the drill bit wants to slide around on the surface of the egg. But again, just practice until you get comfortable, and your results will improve. Otherwise, the drilling is easy, and believe it or not, the egg stands up to it very well. I didn’t have any cracking or breaking while I was drilling!

Once you’re all drilled, wipe the surface of the egg with white vinegar and a paper towel, and the pencil marks will come right off.

3. Embroider the egg

Load your needle with 3 strands of embroidery floss, and knot the end of the floss. Then, simply start sewing on the egg by bringing the needle up and down through the pre-drilled holes.

When you finish a color, leave the end of the embroidery floss hanging (it will be finished off later).

When your image is complete, all that’s left to do is secure the ends of the embroidery floss. Unless you’re a surgeon, it would be very difficult to knot the ends of the thread inside the egg. So instead, secure each thread with a drop of glue on the inside of the shell. When the glue is dry, trim the end of the thread.

And you’re done! The possibilities are really endless with this technique — try dyeing your eggs before embroidering them, embroidering names or monograms, or trying other stitches. Have fun and happy spring!

Well, there it is for those interested in getting their sew on.  If anyone attempts this project, by all means please share your results with all of us!

Have a wonderful day and remember to…

Live Well