Non-egg easter eggs? Vegan easter eggs? (can you freeze egg salad?)

[LCBMAX]

I've gotten instructions on adding felted wool to the outside of a plastic egg (um, ok, but...)

and today I experimented with solid clay, clay around plastic eggs, clay around damp balled up newspaper - not sure how to dry them, but we'll see.

More ideas? I want to do plenty of decorating of natural materials, not too expensive, that won't rot or obligate us to eat egg salad for weeks.

[Juise]

I don't know what the reason is you're looking for vegan ideas, but just in case you're making some for someone else who is vegan, I thought I would point out that most vegans don't do wool. If that's the case, the felted eggs may not be a good idea. If you put that in just because you don't want so many eggs to eat, my apologies.

We made some homemade baking clay eggs to paint a few years ago that came out alright, some of them split during the baking, though. I think they were just too big to be solid. We use this recipe here now for our baking clay and haven't had it split at all, but we haven't made eggs with it yet, so no guarantees! 

This year we're painting paper mache eggs. You can either wad up newspaper / paper towel / scrap paper / etc. and put a little masking tape around it to hold an egg shape, or if you already have plastic eggs to use that would be even easier. Just mix some water into white glue (like 3/4 glue, 1/4 water,) dip newspaper / paper towel / newsprint strips into it, wrap, and let dry. It doesn't need to be very thick and should dry over night.

You can also find packs of paper mache eggs for painting at most craft stores for pretty cheap if you want to go as easy as possible.

[rere]

How about wood eggs?

[LCBMAX]

Sorry, I should have explained more... I want to use just natural materials, and I just mentioned vegan since that eliminates the rotting egg element. I'd love for some of the eggs to be able to weather into their own natural disintegration (without smell or attracting animals) and also not add litter to the environment. We like to leave presents for the fairies around our property, but not so much for the coyotes, etc.

The wood ones are gorgeous, for sure, thanks for that link. I think I can't go far down that route because of cost and shipping, but mmmmm - pretty! I want to play with them myself!

I love the link and the recipe Juise, thank you!

[4evermom]

I meant to blow eggs in advance of Easter, whenever I did baking, so I would have plenty of empty shells for ds to decorate.  I have two done, lol, from when I made blueberry muffins earlier this week.  I'll blow 4 more, today, and save them for making french toast on Easter.  So I'll have at least 6 for decorating at a party tomorrow.  Maybe I'll get more done and bake some Easter bread.  

Our issue is that ds wants to save his decorated eggs forever.  I think he just couldn't shake the feeling that they were supposed to be cherished and protected and might someday hatch.  And I don't want hardboiled eggs lingering for months.  I want to eat them and not waste food. 

[HollyBearsMom]

We blow our eggs.  I tried to do it as I was baking but somehow that was never enough. Now I plan for a week of frittatas, quiche and omelette's, LOL.

We have been blowing eggs since our son was small and it is so cool to unpack the eggs each Easter,  almost like our homemade Christmas ornaments. 

If you have local farm with geese it is really fun to blow geese eggs.  They taste great and are awesome painted gold.  My son is still convinced the farm has the goose that lays the golden eggs!

[LCBMAX]

Ok then, blowing goddesses - blowing techniques that don't give you bloodshot eyes and headaches?

[HollyBearsMom]

My eyes are clear and I am headache free, lol!

I use a push pin to get the first hole in the top.  Then  I put the egg back in the carton and use a metal skewer to push thru that hole, thru the egg and out the other side. The egg carton acts as a stopper. Slowly pull the skewer so the end is in the center of the egg and "twirl" the skewer, breaking the egg yolk and loosening the whites.  If it doesn't blow out easily, put the skewer back into egg and scramble it again.  Works like a charm!  I can do a dozen eggs in a matter of minutes.

[4evermom]

I think the key is too not have the "out" hole too small.  There is always that fibrousy bit that gets stuck if it is too small.  And take a needle or hat pin and swirl it around inside to break the yolk.