Tea-staining eggs

I've become determined to be festive. I want this little home of ours to be a fun place to just hang out and be... though it's hard to justify spending moolah on holiday decor when things like lightswitch plates are still missing from a few walls. It's all coming, it's just coming slowly.

Enter: Martha Stewart

I know, shocker, isn't it? I decided to try her egg and centipede display as a simple start to "Making This Place Creepy" v. 2010

The eggs tea-stained far better than I expected. It was rather fun too. I let them sit about 28 hours but you could easily let them sit a few days or so if you want darker colors. My only tip; remove that papery thin membrane layer from the inside of the egg before staining them. It gets seriously icky. Like, seriously.

{{{Instant flashback to 1985}}}

You'll notice in the pic that some of the eggs are sinking, while hollow eggs typically don't sink. That was my brilliant idea. I did the "straw-sucking" thing to fill them up with water in hope that I could avoid the inevitable line that forms from the waters edge. Verdict? It's a waste of time. The ones floating actually look better. A lot better.

After tea-staining the eggs, squish paperclips into the ends of centipede (or other creepy-crawly looking) fishing lures to make them bendable, rub the eggs lightly with petroleum jelly (for a great sheen), and arrange the sum of all parts in a dish. It's easy, cheap, and instantly ups the Halloween ick factor of your home. (I can't wait to add the bugs but my Wally-world didn't have any I liked.)

I know it's nothing compared to what some other uber-awesome bloggers have time for, but this one is my-life-realitic, and that's what I'm all about.





Unlike some of the other projects on the site, Martha's directions for this project are nice and clear, with pictures!