#egg blowing

First, you'll need a few things:

Something sturdy & pokey (I'm using nail trimmers)

Tweezers

Something thin & pokey (toothpicks work, also sewing needles)

Eggs (use ORGANIC eggs. If you want your shells to stand the test of time, healthy eggs are the way to go. Other eggs will turn a gray-ish color & are more fragile)

A container (for unused eggshell bits, egg whites & egg yolks)

A sink (preferably with a dish disposal, or at least a net in the bottom to catch eggshell bits)

A strong stomach (raw eggs are gross)

Let's talk about using just the shell. In some of my artwork I use the eggshells to contain my miniature sculptures (remember the tiny furniture?). This is easy to do, but requires a soft touch & gentle hand. 

First, take your sturdy & pokey tool (nail trimmers, in my case, although an embroidery needle would also work), and strike a hole in the egg. This might take a try or two. You want to tap the egg firmly, but not so hard that you go straight through the egg. 

Next, use your sturdy & pokey tool to SLOWLY crack away small pieces of the shell. You don't want to rush this. If you try to remove too much shell at once, you'll crack the egg in half. Work above your container to collect the yolk, white, & shell of the egg. 

NOTE: If you're trying to preserve the egg whites & yolks (for the biggest omelette ever!), separate the shells & the innards separately. I really don't like eggs, so I'll be throwing out the whole mess when I'm done. For disposal, you can discard everything in an old milk carton or something with a lid. If you have a dish disposal, discard directly into the sink.

Once you have chipped a hole large enough, you can dump out the innards. They won't really pour out, so what you'll have to do is pull them out. This will be disgusting. To make things easier, use your thin & pokey tool (toothpick) to break up the egg yolk inside the egg. It will slide out more easily this way. 

Keep rinsing your egg as you go. I would not recommend you rinse egg whites or yolks down the drain, as it might damage your plumbing. Once you've chipped away your desired opening, it's time to move onto the inner lining.

In this before picture, you can see the lining sticking out from around the edges of the shell. This lining is what holds the air sac at the bottom of the egg. You can leave the lining if you wish, but for a polished & cleaner look you should remove it. Use your tweezers and gently pull the lining away. 

Done! Rinse it one more time to remove any organic material, then set it out to dry. The shell will not rot or disintegrate, as it it primarily calcium. 

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On to the egg-blowing a.k.a. super gross but awesome in the end!

You'll want to use your sturdy & pokey tool to put a hole in the top & the bottom of the egg. Keep these holes as small as possible. If you are unable to blow the innards out, open the exit hole up a bit. 

Take your thin & pokey tool and break the egg yolk up. This is important! If you don't do this step, you'll be blowing until your face turns blue.

Rinse the egg off to avoid nasty germs, and blow through the smaller of the holes, catching the innards in your container. This will be totally gross, but blow as hard as you can until it is completely empty.

Now go wash your mouth off. Ew. 

Rinse the egg off (try & rinse inside as much as you can), & set it out to dry! Done!

NOTE: When you are finished emptying your eggs, make sure to sanitize EVERYTHING. Disinfect your sink, tools, countertop, & all surfaces where egg might have ended up. Make sure to wash your hands (under your fingernails too), arms, & face.