Being the natural "hoarder that I am, I find it very difficult to throw anything away, so I have been using egg shells in various ways throughout the years. I'm also a bit Obsessive Compulsive, I just love it how they feel when I break them in my hands! Apart from the obvious uses over Easter, I scoured the internet and added a few of my own ideas so here are but just a few to inspire you to re-use your egg shells!
1. Compost for Naturally Fertilized Soil
Eggshells quickly decompose in the compost pile and add valuable calcium and other minerals to the soil in the process.
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2. Nontoxic Pest Control in the Garden
Scatter crushed eggshell around your plants and flowers to help deter plant-eating slugs, snails and cutworms without using eco-unfriendly pesticides. Also, deer hate the smell of eggs, so scattering eggshells around the flowerbed will help keep Bambi away from your begonias.
3. Less Bitter Coffee
Add an eggshell to the coffee in the filter, and your morning coffee will be less bitter. The spent coffee grounds, eggshell and bio-degradable filter are then conveniently ready for the compost pile.
Fill biodegradable eggshell halves with potting soil instead of using peat pots to start seedlings for the garden. And an egg carton on the windowsill is the perfect way to start a dozen tomato seedlings in shells before transplanting to the garden in the spring.
5. Eco-friendly Household Abrasive
Shake crushed eggshells and a little soapy water to scour hard-to-clean items like thermoses and vases. Crushed eggshells can also be used as a nontoxic abrasive on pots and pans.
"Blow out" the inside of a raw egg and paint/decorate the hollow shell to make your Faberge eggs or other craft projects. Pieces of egg shell (plain or dyed) are also used in mosaic art projects.
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Another idea is to fill the shells with candle wax, add a wick and you have some beautiful candles to place around your home.
Another idea is to fill the shells with candle wax, add a wick and you have some beautiful candles to place around your home.
7. Clever Jello and Chocolate Molds
Carefully fill "blown out" eggshells with jello or chocolate to make unique egg-shaped treats; peel away the eggshell mold before serving, or serve as is and let your guests discover the surprise inside. Pic from Pinterest.
8. Natural Drain Cleaner
Keep a couple of crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer at all times. They trap additional solids and they gradually break up and help to naturally clean your pipes on their way down the drain.
9. Membrane Home Remedies
The super-thin membrane inside the eggshell has long been used as a home remedy for a wide range of ailments, from healing cuts to treating ingrown toenails.
10. Treat Skin Irritations
Dissolve an eggshell in a small jar of apple cider vinegar (takes about two days) and use the mixture to treat minor skin irritations and itchy skin.
11. Egg on Your Face
Pulverize dried egg shells with a mortar and pestle, then whisk the powder in with an egg white and use for a healthful, skin-tightening facial. Allow the face mask to dry before rinsing it off.
12. The Fuel of Tomorrow?
Just when your brain was totally fried by all my ingenious reuses for eggshells, researchers at Ohio State University recently discovered that eggshells might be the key to producing affordable hydrogen fuel. I've heard of walking on eggshells, but maybe some day we'll be driving on them too.
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13. Entertaining
I found the above pic on Pinterest, a wonderful idea for decorating a breakfast table for a special occasion, or just for plain, every-day use! Place little flowers in the clean, washed egg shells in their egg cups and voila! a gorgeous table setting!
14. Indoor gardening
I often use egg shells for little miniature indoor gardens. A few succulents planted in egg shells and placed in a sunny spots around the home brings your garden inside and does wonders for the morale!
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