How to Make a Zodiac Constellation Pierced Egg

These Zodiac constellation pierced eggs make unique gifts, and the Proxxon glass engraver makes it easy to get professional results.

Supplies for Making a Zodiac Pierced Egg

• Proxxon Glass Engraving Set
• Hen or duck egg
• Flavor injection syringe
• Coloring agent such as alcohol inks, acrylic paints, gold leaf paint, etc. (optional)
• Battery operated tea light
• Constellation map

Instructions for Making a Zodiac Pierced Egg

1. Blow out the contents of the egg. There are several ways to do this, but here is my method:
1. Drill a hole in the wide end of the egg.
   
2. Insert the needle of an empty flavor injection syringe into the hole and gently pump air into the egg. The air expels the contents of the egg. Repeat until the egg is empty. (Note: I recommend dedicating a syringe for use only with eggs.)
   
3. Using the syringe, partially fill the egg with warm water. 
4. Remove the syringe, hold a finger over the hole, and gently shake the egg.
5. Repeat Step B to expel the water.
6. Use the syringe to fill the egg with a weak bleach solution. Immerse the egg in additional bleach solution, and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Use the syringe to empty the egg, and thoroughly rinse inside and out with warm water.
8. Let egg dry.
2. Using a constellation map as a guide, mark the positions for the holes. 
   
3. Hold the egg in the palm of your hand and using a 1/32" bit in the engraver carefully drill holes in the marked positions.
   
4. Stars in the constellation may vary in brightness. For larger/brighter stars enlarge the holes using larger engraving and grinding bits.
5. Using a spherical head grinding bit, slowly enlarge the hole on the bottom (wide end) of the egg to accommodate the bulb of the tea light.
   
6. If desired, color the egg and the base of the tea light.  
   
7. Enjoy your Zodiac constellation pierced egg.
   

Carole

Pierced Eggs for Easter

It's not too early to start thinking about Easter decorations. And for me, that means eggs. I've created these unique beauties with my Proxxon Engraver GG 12.

To begin, I blow out the insides of the egg using a syringe. (You can also blow them out with your mouth.) Next, the emptied shells soak in a bleach bath (~2 tablespoons of household bleach/1 pint of water) for half an hour. Then, after they are rinsed well in water, they soak in a baking soda bath (~2 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 pint of water) to neutralize the bleach. One last water bath, and they are put aside to dry.

I use an egg lathe to mark guidelines on the shell.

Using the guidelines, I add preliminary sketches of my design.

I use the Proxxon Engraver and different size burrs to pierce a series of holes in the egg shells to complete the design.

When I'm finished with the piercing, I buff the shells with a thin coat of coconut or olive oil. Jewelry findings are added for displaying the completed eggs.

Give it a try!! It's not as hard as you think, and you'll get impressive results.

Carole