So, it’s almost Easter. And you’re making omelets. Or cookies. Or anything with eggs.
No biggie.
Just crack open those white shells and toss the whole thing, right?
Wait! Don’t toss that!
With two seconds of prep and some wheat from your food storage, those shells and carton can double as cute, FREE centerpiece for Easter brunch.
These come together in nothing flat—so easy.
* Gently crack your egg shells on the narrow end, remove the egg yolk and white, and make something delicious.
* Rinse shells in hot, soapy water and dry. Dye with natural or store-bought dyes as you would for traditional hard-boiled eggs.
* Add a tablespoon-ish of potting soil to each egg …
… and cover with sprouted wheat. *
Cover with plastic wrap and make sure soil stays moist, but not soggy.
Wheat will start to sprout in a day or two, with 4-6 inches of growth about a week later.
If the grass gets too tall or shaggy, just grab your scissors and even it out.
The carton doubles as a display tray by trimming down the sides with your nicest dollar store scissors.
And you can change up the look depending on how many eggs you use:
FULL DOZEN
HALF DOZEN
SINGLE PLACE CARD
(name written on egg)
(name on egg carton)
And when you’re done, EVERYTHING gets composted or recycled so there’s nothing wasted.
So …
Egg shells and carton?
It’s What Not To Toss this weekend!
* – Spouting wheat is easy and simply involves soaking and rinsing whole wheat kernels in water so that they start to germinate. There’s a great video of process HERE.
It dropped another five degrees today which means another chance to use around-the-house items to add some fall lovin’ to our newly painted upstairs (more on that later this week.)
The end result was three, texture-licious frames in yummy fall colors straight from the pantry and recycling bin.
Want to make your own?
To make these frames you’ll need:
(Edited to add: I’ve gotten a few emails about lentils. You can find them next to the rice or in the bulk food section of your grocery store. They run $0.60 – $1.25 / lb.)
As always I hope you’ll rock what ya got and make this look work for you without a trip to the store.
I made simple, three-layer frames from {unused} pizza boxes and wood glue …
… and covered the raw edges with paper scraps for a nice, clean edge.
Frames got a quick coat of paint in the closest color I had to my lentils using my nicest fountain drink palette and a foam brush …
… just to make sure none of that cardboard showed through.
Craft wire was wrapped around the frames to make a simple hanging loop for the back.
Frames were propped up on some cans and a thick coat of white school glue was applied with a cheapie foam brush. More is more here, people. Don’t skimp. Lentils were gently poured on in a thick layer and pressed carefully in place. Do NOT shake off the extra until the glue has dried several hours.
The sides of the frame were covered the same way after the top had thoroughly dried. Pictures and mats were taped in place. Easy. Quick. Done.
Love the texture, but not the color?
No biggie.
I loved—LOVED—the orange lentil frame, but hated it with my living room wall color. Boo. {Maybe I’ll have to make another one for Halloween.}
So I just painted over it. A little copper craft paint and the problem was solved.
Much better match up against those grey walls.
Love.
A few THRIVE tips to save you some headaches:
1. If you’re painting your lentil frame, spray paint is easiest. But if craft paint is all you got, thin it down to make it flow like a glaze. I went with 3 parts paint, 1 part water, 1 part white glue and it worked great.
2. Don’t touch your frame for several hours while the lentils are drying. Don’t shake off the extra. Don’t move it. Leave the dang thing alone. Seriously. If you move or shake off the extra too soon, you’ll get a really thin, spotty layer. See?
3. If you skimped on the glue and/or ignored tip #2 — don’t worry. Mix 2 parts glue + 1 part water and pour it over your frame, spreading gently with a foam brush. Then recoat with a thick coat of lentils and let it dry over night before shaking off the excess.
