DIY: New life in an eggshell

Everything great starts small

This DIY is an original way to decorate your Easter table and is a great fresh start for seeds and cuttings. Choose white eggshells like we have, or be extra creative and decorate the eggshells yourself, or as a fun activity to do with kids. These make the perfect Easter gift, but you may well end up keeping them for yourself!

YOU WILL NEED

Eggs (empty egg shells)
Egg piercer or needle
Seeds and/or cuttings from your favorite plant. Most plants are suitable for eggshells, as long as they aren't too big. We opted for grape hyacinths and loose leaves from a mini Monstera, Fittonia, Asparagus and Andiathum.
Cardboard egg carton
Potting soil or arth (you can also buy special seed-starting mix)
Optimal: marker pens, paint or other decorations to decorate the eggshells

TO WORK
STEP 1
Use a needle or egg piercer to poke a small hole in the top of each egg. With the tip of a sharp knife, make the hole in the eggshell bigger. Drain the eggs and collect them in a bowl (you can fry the eggs later, or use them in other dishes such as an omelette or quiche). It's okay to use broken eggshells, as long as you leave at least half of the eggshell intact.

STEP 2
Rinse the eggshells with warm water. Place the clean egg shells in the egg carton.

STEP 3
Use a spoon to fill each bowl with moist potting compost or damp soil. Place a number of seeds or a cutting in each eggshell. Sow the seeds as indicated on the seed packaging. For the cutting, you make a small hole, then gently insert the stem.

STEP 4
Place the egg carton in a sunny, south-facing window. Moisten the seeds and cuttings every few days, or as needed, lightly with a spray bottle of water. A fine mist is all that is needed for young plants. Do not overwater them as the eggshells do not have drainage holes. When your seeds have sprouted, cut the weakest or the smallest back, to enable the largest to grow strong and tall.

Tip: You can also move the plants to a larger pot or in your garden. Don't throw the eggshells away, as they add extra nutrients to your plant! Carefully crush the eggshell containing the plant on the ground (or in the pot) and remove the pieces of the shell that are on the bottom. Leave the remaining pieces of eggshell, so that they can feed your plant extra nutrients as they decompose.