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:
• Red and black acrylic paints
• Chinese theme rubber stamps
• Gold ink pad
• Oriental papers (joss papers, foreign language newspapers)
• Decoupage medium
• Gold paint pen
• High-gloss, clear acrylic spray

1 Paint the eggs red or black. Let them dry.

2 Carefully stamp images onto the eggs with gold ink. Let the stamped images dry.

3 Cut out small shapes from the Oriental papers. Brush a thin coat of decoupage medium into a shape and apply it to the egg. Apply additional shapes, overlapping them as desired. Set the egg aside to dry.

4 Outline the shapes with the gold paint pen. You can also paint additional shapes onto the egg. Let the paint dry.

5 Spray the egg with high-gloss clear spray and let it dry.