How to Send a Message in an Egg

In the spirit of springtime, I thought this project would be apropos. Everyone puts up posts about how to decorate an egg but this post, originally found here on TechLoveDesign, is about how to decorate in order to destroy it.... well... crack it open. This would be great not only for springtime but for a birthday card or a baby shower note!

Here's what you'll need:

1. An egg
2. A container/jar to put the contents of egg in
3. A safety pin
4. Paint
5. A piece of paper with your message written on it

First, stick a safety pin at the top and bottom of your egg. Have one of the holes be bigger than the other, since you'll be putting your rolled up message at that end.

Put your mouth at the small hole end and blow! The egg contents should drip out into your container.

Next comes the painting. I decided to try and paint it similar to the original so I made it light blue, let it dry, and went over with a second coat.

Now you could use white stickers or you could paint white dots, however you choose to decorate your egg.

Once the paint is dry, roll up your message as tight as you can and stick it through the bigger hole you made earlier. Note that if your paper is bigger than the hole, you will slightly crack the shell.

Put it in a box that says "Crack Me" and watch them smile at your creative gift! If you want to make a felt box, see my DIY post here.

TOTAL COSTS: Free!
Note that I already had a safety pin (from the dry cleaners), paint, paper, and an egg

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: Overnight + about 3 hours
5 minutes to blow out egg yolk and whites
Let the inside dry overnight but it was still sticky inside after 24 hours. I'd suggest giving it 2+ days to let the inside dry completely before painting
1 hour for first coat to dry
1 hour for second coat to dry
1 hour for dots to dry
5 minutes to roll up the message and stick inside the egg

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
If you don't like blowing up balloons, you won't like blowing out the egg yolk and whites. Other than that, it's not difficult at all to paint an egg shell and stick a message inside!

Apple Swans

Having a hard time getting your kid to eat their fruits? Or maybe you really want to wow your dinner party guests? This is a perfect solution to both those situations - an apple cut to look like a swan (or duck, depending on how long you choose to make the neck). I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was but this video helped break down the steps, which I've also provided below. The first time took me 20 minutes to knock out, the second time took me 10 minutes. So the more practice you have, the easier and faster it'll go!

Very simply, all you need is:

1. An apple
2. 1 sharp knife
3. 2 butter knives
4. A cutting board
5. (optional) Lemon juice to help from browning

First, let me say be very careful when working with sharp knives. As the apple juices start to flow, you may lose your grip and accidentally cut or stab your hand, fingers, etc. So please be very careful and go slow, even if you're frustrated!

Ok, now that you've been properly warned, take your apple and with the stem (top) facing away from you, cut at a diagonal so the bottom will be on one half and the stem will be on another half.

Pick out any two seeds you think would make for great eyes!

Put the stem piece aside and work with the bottom piece first. Place it face-down on the cutting board and using two butter knives as guides, cut to the right of the calyx (that star-shaped mark on the bottom of apples) until you hit the butter knives.

Then cutting from right to left on the side of the apple, saw your way in until you hit the first cut, at which point, you'll be able to take the entire piece out.

Do the same thing on the other side of the calyx. Cut from the top until you hit the knives, then cut from the side until you can pop the piece of apple out.

Next, take one of the pieces you popped out and using the butter knives as guides again, cut 1/4" from the top until you hit the knives.

Now instead of trying to cut from the side, just turn the apple on its left side and cut from the top so you can take another chunk out. Do the same thing for the piece you just cut out. And the same thing to that piece!

Stack all the pieces on top of the original apple and you form a wing!

Do the same thing for the other piece you originally cut out and stack so there's wings on both sides of the base apple.

Now here's what I found to be the hardest part. Cut out a rectangle in the middle, so you'll have a place to put the neck/head. This is easier than it looks, so be patient.

Remember the top half of the apple you set aside? The one with the stem on it? Bring it back to the cutting board and using the butter knives and guides again, cut all the way through the apple.

If you cut all the way through each piece, you'll end up with something like this.

Find a piece that most resembles a heart and make a diagonal cut to the center of the apple.

Then make a horizontal cut to that point, so you can remove that section.

Make a diagonal cut across the bottom and you've got your head and neck!

Put in your seeds for eyes, stick it in the rectangular slot you created on the body, and you're set!

I do recommend making adjustments as you see fit, like rounding out corners, adjusting the thickness of the neck, etc. Trust me, the more you do it, the easier it'll be!

TOTAL COSTS: Depends on the apples you choose. At Vons the prices are:
$1.49/lb for Fuji
$1.49 for Golden Delicious
$1.99/lb for Granny Smith

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 10-20 minutes
As I said, the first time took me 20 minutes, the second time took me 10.

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 3 out of 5
It can be hard the first time around, especially making the center hole for the neck to go in, but the more practice, the faster and easier it'll be!

Cupcake Onesie Gift Box

Perhaps you've seen this floating around Pinterest when trying to search for a creative way to gift onesies. Sure, you could just wrap them and hand them over, but where's the fun in that? If your mother-to-be has a sweet tooth, she'll definitely enjoy this creative approach to gifting onesies. Note that it took me less than a minute per onesie so it's a simply and fast approach to gift wrapping!

All you need are:

1. Onesies (as the "cupcake")
2. Baby socks (as the "cherry" on top)
3. Cupcake liners
4. Cupcake box (optional - you could just use a regular box)

It's quite easy so don't be afraid! Step one: fold the sides of the onesie to the middle.

Step two: fold bottom over the top so it's half as wide.

Step three: take a sock, fold it however you like, and starting at one end of the onesie, start rolling it up.

Step four: place your onesie in cupcake liner.

Ta-da! See, I told you it was easy! Do this for however many onesies you have, put a ribbon on the box, and you're good to go!

TOTAL COSTS: About $20 (hey, I said it was easy, not cheap!)

$1.99 for Disney Cuddle Bodsuits 4-pack on Amazon

$8.00 for juDanzy 4-back of solid socks on Amazon

$4.29 for 24-pack of Wilton baking cups from Vons

$4.99 for 3-pack of cupcake boxes from Michael's

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: Less than 5 minutes

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
You're just rolling up onesies and putting them in cupcake liners - doesn't get much easier than that!

Four Ways to Decorate a Onesie

Recently I posted an easy, yet creative, yet affordable baby shower gift called Peas in a Pod with baby washcloths. Today, I'm keeping with the theme of babies and baby showers. I wanted to show four easy and creative ways to decorate a onesie that will save you a lot of money if you just make it rather than buy a similar one online! Two are gender neutral and two are for boys (though honestly, if I were a baby, I'd want to wear all four).

Onesie #1 and #2 - The Moustache and The Crescent Moon

When I saw this baby gift set, I thought it was adorable until I saw the price tag. The onesie alone could be between $18-$37 for a freakin' moon on it?! No. Way.

For the moustache onesie, I saw this one on Etsy for $13 and again, I thought the price tag was ridiculous.

Here's how to make the exact same onesies. You'll need:

1. A bodysuit/onesie
2. Fabric paint
3. Freezer paper
4. X-acto knife
5. Paintbrush

Print out your moon, moustache, whatever you want on the onesie on the dull side of freezer paper and cut out the inside of the pattern with your x-acto knife. If you choose not to print onto the freezer paper itself, you can print your moon/moustache/etc. on regular paper, put it under freezer paper, and then trace the outline with a marker so as to cut it out.

Here's where I recommend putting a piece of paper or cardboard inside the onesie so paint doesn't seep through. Iron the outline onto your onesie shiny side down for a few minutes. I did it for 3 minutes, just to make sure it was completely stuck. Make sure the edges are ironed flat to the bodysuit, otherwise paint will seep out and it will look unprofessional.

After you've ironed, paint on a layer inside the template and let dry for 2-4 hours. Add another layer of paint if necessary.

Once dry, slowly remove the template, then take a towel or washcloth and place it on top of the onesie. Take your iron and "set" the pattern in for a few minutes. This will guarantee the pattern won't fade away after the first wash.

And you're done! Enjoy the money you saved by making another one!

Onesie #3 - The Home State

This is much like the first two, however the word "home" ups the difficulty level. Note that it's still cheaper than buying it for $28 online (if it looks familiar, it's the same company that Kristin Cavallari wore when she debuted her baby bump... why do I know this?...)

Just like before, find an outline of the state of your choice, print it out on freezer paper, and cut it out with your x-acto knife. I found it was easiest to print out "home" on freezer paper and cut out each letter individually.

Just like before, iron the freezer paper to your onesie and make sure there's a piece of paper or cardboard inside the onesie.

Paint over the word "home" and wait until the paint dries. Try not to paint off the freezer paper (I did a little at the top... whoops!)

Once it dries, add another layer of paint if you wish (I kept with 1 layer since it was a light-colored onesie). Slowly remove the paper and the letters. Hopefully you ironed it down well enough so it didn't bleed too bad!

Original for $28 versus what I made... I didn't keep the period after "home" but other than that, can you tell any difference?

Onesie #4 - The Switch-Out Bow Ties

This is a little different... you're going to be making bow ties that can be switched out with the help of some snaps or, in this case, velcro. An easy way to dress up a onesie and a versitile option too!

Here's what you'll need:

1. A bodysuit/onesie
2. Felt
3. Needle and thread or glue
4. Velcro or snaps
5. Ruler
6. Scissors
7. Pen or marker

First, measure and cut two strips of felt. Strip #1 should be 3/4" x 2 1/2". Strip #2 should be 3/4" x 9 1/2". Fold Strip #2 into thirds - fold one end in about 2/3 of the way, then fold the other side on top.

Pinch in the middle to make the center fold.

Take Strip #1 and tightly wrap it around the center. Either sew or glue the ends together in the back.

Take your velcro and apply one side to the tie and the other to the onesie. Make sure if you're making multiple ties to apply the correct side to the tie every time.

And that's it! I only made two ties but the possibilities of color are endless!

And there you have it! Four onesies for the price of one you would buy online. Go out there and be creative!

TOTAL COSTS: About $25 to make 4 onesies

$1.99 for Disney Bodysuit 4 Pack for on Amazon

$7.99 for freezer paper from Vons  (for 150 sq. ft!)

$5.99 for fabric paint from Michaels

$6 for felt from Fiddlesticks in San Francisco (click here for another baby project with felt)

$2.75 for velcro from Vons

X-acto knife, paint brush, ruler, scissors, needle & thread, and pen on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: Depends on project

Depending on the amount of paint you use and the color of the bodysuit, it varies how long it might take for the paint to dry. 

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): Depends on project

The tie is the easiest to make (especially if you don't know how to sew, you can just use glue). I'd rate that a 1 out of 5. 

#1 and #2 are the second easiest, I'd rate them 2 out of 5. 

The home state is the hardest but you just need to go slow and steady when cutting, ironing, and painting. Even still, I'd rate it a 3 out of 5. Not hard at all but not a walk in the park.