Cascarones Easter Egg Surprise Countdown

March 26, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

Cascarones, or “shell hits”, are said to bring luck and fortune to the person whose head you break the egg over. Typically Cascarones are filled with confetti, but I decided to add a couple of treats and turn these eggs into a countdown to Easter: the Easter Egg Surprise Countdown. While we won’t be breaking these eggs over our head, I did want to make these creations exciting for my 4-year-old. Here’s how I made them…

Supplies:

– a dozen-ish eggs

– egg dye

– confetti

– mini mini toys that can fit inside an egg + stickers + chocolate

– mod podge

– paper

– optional: tissue & glitter

Directions:

– First, let’s prep the eggs. Tap the “bottom” (opposite of the pointy/skinny end of the egg) with a butter knife. When you make a little break in the egg, use your fingers to chip away the shell to make a 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide hole (the size depends on what you’re putting in the egg). Wash the eggs with soap and water (inside and out) and let dry completely. Psst: why not make some fried rice with the egg yolks?

– Set up your egg dye and dye the egg shells. Let the eggs dry completely (maybe overnight).

– Fill the eggs with the confetti, stickers, chocolate, and mini toys. My kiddo REALLY wanted to help me with this part, so I let her put all the confetti in. When she wasn’t looking, I popped in the toys/stickers/chocolate and it will be a fun surprise for her!

– Let’s seal the eggs. I punched out some 1.5 inch paper circles and mod podged them over the hole.

– Optional: you can just stick with the paper over the holes here, or you can cover up some more! I chose to cover the paper with colored tissue, them brushed a layer of Mod Podge over the tissue paper and dipped into a cup of glitter.

– Let the glue dry completely, and start your Easter countdown!

I only made 8 eggs, so I’m going to have to hear my kiddo asking, “Is it time to start the Easter countdown yet?” For a couple more weeks. Whoops.

Side note: I have seen a few creations that put bird seed in the cascarones, instead of the confetti. That way if you do break them outside, it’s not littering (and hard to clean up) if you leave some seed for the birdies.

– Chelsey

7 Comments

Tags: easter, egg, glitter

Categories: diy, Holiday - Easter

Little Egg Succulent Planter

March 25, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

Well. These are adorable. I was trying to find something fun and different to do with my Easter eggs. The Little Egg Succulent Planter turned out pretty cute. Make one and keep it for yourself, or make a lot and give to your friends or use as place markers for your holiday dinner.

Supplies:

– 1 raw egg

– needle

– 1 small succulent

– cactus dirt

– black permanent pen

– optional: egg holder

Directions:

– Time to prep the egg. Use your needle to poke holes in a line sound the pointy top of the egg.

– Use your fingers to beak the egg along the line of needle holes.

– Write a little love note on your egg with the permanent pen. I wrote “happy spring”, “for you”, and drew a heart. Tip: dye the egg shells first, then write a note on the egg. Fun!

– Plant your succulent in the egg. Tip: use a little chop stick to push down the loose dirt.

Keep this little egg gift for yourself, or give to a friend. I gave these eggs to my neighbors. Or, you could use the Egg Succulent Planters for place markers this Easter at your dinner table.

– Chelsey

4 Comments

Tags: easter, egg, garden

Categories: diy, Holiday - Easter

Decoupage Easter Eggs with Free Pressed Flower Printable

March 24, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

I know. Easter isn’t until April 20th, but I like making things and I like decorating eggs… So that’s what’s up. Hee! We decorated eggs all weekend at my home. First up, a pressed flower Decoupage Easter Egg. I saw this idea FOREVER ago on the Martha Stewart site, so I decided to make my own version. I used these pressed flowers for an old project from a long time ago (my flower frame). Now I’m using them for this project. I’ve included the printout for you to make your own! Here’s how you can do it…

Supplies:

– mod Podge

– old brush

– pressed flower printout

– scissors

– white eggs (boiled or blown out)

– skewers

– optional: needle, small bead, and thread

Directions:

– Prep your eggs. Boil them, or blow out the yolk for a more permanent decoration.

– Print and cut out the pressed flower printout. Optional: spray a light coat of acrylic sealer on the printout. The Mod Podge could make the printout ink bleed and the spray will prevent that. I did not use spray this time.

– Cut out the flowers (leaving a little white border around the flower image, or don’t leave a white border… that’s just a lot of work).

– If you are working with a blown out egg: Put a skewer through the bottom hole in the egg (this makes it easier to mod podge the flowers on).

– Brush a light layer of Mod Podge on the back of a flower cutout and press the flower on an egg. Repeat with as many flowers/leaves you would like on your egg. Tip: don’t cover the bottom or top hole of a blown out egg.

– Brush on a coat of Mod Podge over all the paper flowers on the egg. Let dry overnight. If you’re mod podging flowers on a boiled egg, you’re done here! If you are working with a blown out egg, continue below.

– Grab your needle, bead, and thread. With the threaded needle, push it through the top hole of the egg. Jiggle the egg around until the needle falls through the bottom hole. Keep a little thread sticking out the top egg hole. Knot the bead at the bottom portion of the egg. Pull the thread through and tie a loop to hang the egg from.

– Now, let’s cover up that bottom hole. Grab one more flower to mod podge to the bottom. Let the dry for a few hours.

– Hang your egg and enjoy! This would also be a cute gift.

Happy super early Easter!

– Chelsey

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Tags: decoupage, easter, printable

Categories: diy, Holiday - Easter

How to blow an egg.

March 21, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

First, let’s all hope that this post title doesn’t put me in the dirty traffic in search engines. Ha! I thought about changing the title a bit, but this is what it is. You gotta blow the yolk out of the egg.

Anyway, I had no idea that blowing yolk out of an egg isn’t really common knowledge. Maybe most of you know how to do this? But it seems some of you don’t know how, or maybe you don’t care? Well, just in case… I’m sharing how to blow an egg on the blog today. When I was a kiddo this was a common art project during Spring, my mom taught us kids how to do this. Why blow an egg? Well, when you color a boiled egg, it only lasts for so long. A blown egg will last forever (well, until it breaks). You blow the yolk out and decorate away. We typically used acrylic paint to create a beautiful painted scene (I usually painted cats playing in the grass, cause nerd), but you can really do anything with a blown out egg.

Next week, on this here blog, will be filled with a wonderful variety of egg decorating ideas, but for now let’s get to how to blow that egg.

Supplies:

– egg

– long needle

– bowl

Directions:

– Use your needle to poke a hole in the “top” of the egg (I call the pointy end of the egg the “top”).

– On the bottom side of the egg (opposite from the pointy end), use the needle to poke another hole. Poke the needle into the egg multiple times to make this hole bigger than the other end, so the yolk can squeeze out. Be sure to poke the needle around inside of the egg, to break the yolk.

– With the bowl under the egg, put your mouth on the top of the egg and carefully blow. If the egg yolk/whites are having trouble coming out, poke the needle around in the bottom of the egg again (to make sure the yolk is broken). Tip: don’t squeeze the egg shell too hard. Once you poke a hole in the shell, it’s not as strong and you could break it.

– Blow on the top egg hole until the egg yolk is out. Bring the egg over to the faucet and run water in the bottom hole. Shake the egg, and blow the water out (mouth on top hole). I suggest waiting 24 hours to let the inside of the egg dry, but you can get started right away if you need to.

Ok, enjoy! There’s so much you can do from here. Maybe thread some ribbon through the top hole to turn it into an Easter ornament? Ok, have a wonderful and happy Friday/weekend. See you next week with a bunch of egg decorating ideas!

– Chelsey

8 Comments

Tags: easter, egg, good idea

Categories: diy, Tips and Tricks

Under Cabinet Jar Storage

March 20, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

I’ve seen jar storage ALL over the Pinterest, and I’m finally using the idea. My under cabinet jar storage is one step towards a more organized kitchen. Seriously, our kitchen is lacking in quite a bit: beauty, up to date appliances, and storage. For now, we’ll need to get started on the storage solutions. Some day we’ll work on the appliances and beauty, but it’s not a necessity. Sadly.

If you’d like to add some jar storage to your home, check out the full DIY over here on the Better Homes and Gardens Blog.

Happy almost Friday!

– Chelsey

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6 Comments

Tags: jar, organize, storage

Categories: BHG, diy, For The Kitchen, paper mama house

What do you look for in a blog?

March 19, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

Ok, I want to know. What do you look for in a blog? It’s been a while since I’ve really asked this question on the ‘ol blog. I know what I look for, but I know we’re all different. My husband loves food blogs for recipes and restaurant reviews (cause he loves to cook), and my mom tends to wander to art-based blogs for inspiration. What is it you’re looking for? Or, maybe it’s not a “thing” you’re looking for, but that connection. I personally tend to go back to blogs where I feel like I “know” the person writing.

Are you a sucker for pretty photos? You love a good story? Maybe you love all those DIY’s? Whatever it is, I’d love to hear in the comments below. Tell me what it is you look for. I’m always curious. If you have a blog, feel free to share the link (I’d love to check it out). I’d also love to know if any of you are interested in a project share. A section on my blog to share projects you make (not just projects I share, but anything you make). Thoughts?

Okay, happy mid-week to you!

– Chelsey

43 Comments

Tags: about me, chelsey, questions

Categories: about me

Vanilla Extract Recipe + Free Label Printable

March 18, 2014 | Posted by Chelsey

Can you really call something a recipe if it’s only 2 ingredients? Well, Vanilla Extract is surprisingly easy to make. Just two things you need: alcohol and vanilla beans. Yup. You wouldn’t know that if you looked on the ingredients of most vanilla extracts, since a lot of companies like to sweeten their extracts with corn syrup.

We tend to go through a ton of vanilla extract over in my home. I’m always making my no-refined sugars homemade granola, and we just go right through the extract. Making my own has saved a bit of cash! I mean, vanilla beans can be a little expensive… but we have a local store that sold some lovely organic beans for $1.50 each. There’s also a company I found online, Beanilla, that has a lovely variety of beans (for less than you’d probably pay at most grocery stores).

Vanilla Extract Recipe

- 2 oz. dark bottle (I recommend Boston Rounds)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 oz. of vodka (or bourbon)
- 8.5 x 11 inch sticker printout sheet
- 1.5 inch circle punch
- Optional: ribbon
- free vanilla extract label printables!

Directions:

– Split your vanilla bean in half (lengthwise).

– Cut the bean sections into pieces that will fit into your bottle. Put the beans into the bottle.

– Pour the alcohol into the bottle and screw on the lid. Shake the bottle a couple times. Store in a dark space for 6 – 8 weeks. Ta dah! You now have Vanilla Extract. Print out your labels and cut them out with a circle cutter. I’ve provided blank labels you can use for spices and the vanilla labels you see in the photos.

You know what’s super cool about this? When you run out of the vanilla extract you made, just add more alcohol and let the beans soak for another 6 – 8 weeks. I think keeping 3 bottles on hand and refilling as needed will help. I’m not sure how many times you can reuse the bean, but test it out!

Enjoy that homemade vanilla extract!

– Chelsey

Disclosure: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. There are affiliate links in this post. Thank you for your support. I am a paid contributor on the HP Create website.

9 Comments

Tags: baking, gift, gift tag, printable

Categories: food, Tips, Tricks, and Gifts