Preparing eggs for decoration
There are two methods used to prepare natural eggs before you decorate them -- blowing out the contents or cooking the contents. For either method, the first thing you want to do is examine your eggs for any visible cracks in the shells. The eggshell should feel dry to the touch. A noticeably slimy feeling may indicate bacterial growth, and powdery spots that come off when touched may indicate mold. Discard these eggs.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
• Dried hydrangea blossoms
• Seam binding
• White craft glue
• Nests
• Rustic napkin rings

1 Harvest dried oak-leaf hydrangea blossoms from your garden. You can also find other varieties of dried hydrangeas in florist shops and craft stores.

2 Trim the stem from each individual blossom on the back side of the flower. Set them to the side.

3 Wrap seam binding around each egg as desired. Secure the seam binding with tiny dabs of glue.

4 Place a dab of glue on the back of each blossom. Place the blossoms on the eggs as desired.

5 Nestle eggs in man-made nests and perch them on rustic twig napkin rings.

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Excerpted from Artful Eggs by Terry Taylor. Copyright 2004 by Terry Taylor Excerpted with permission by Lark Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.