Domed Eggshell Tabletopper

By: Carol Cook

When it comes to unexpected craft ideas, recycled materials can serve as serious inspiration. Save your old cheese board and use it to create a Domed Eggshell Tabletopper. You can display this piece throughout spring for a cheery look. Best of all, you can simply save eggs from your meal and use them for your project.

Materials:

2 egg shells
Cheese cloche
Martha Stewart Feldspar and Smoky Quartz Glitter craft paints
“Nest materials” (Bark covered wire, coffee filters, and shredded crepe streamers)
Decorative paper

Instructions:

Painted the wood cheese board and the outside of the egg shells with the Feldspar. While that was drying, cut out a circle of decorative paper the same size as the board and then tear around the edges. Once the paint is dry, use Mod Podge to apply the paper to the wood.
While the Mod Podge is drying, “speckle” the egg shells using the Smoky Quartz glitter paint. Just kind of glop it on until your satisfied.
Go around the edge of the wood board with the Smoky Quartz.
While everything is drying, make the nest. Use bark-covered wire found in the floral section at Michaels and make a free form nest by loosely wrapping it in circles until you are satisfied. Twist the ends together.
Tear the centers from two natural coffee filters, scrunch them and then tucked them into the “nest”. Grab a roll of crepe paper streamers, pull out a length of your choosing, fold it and cut in strips. Crumple then uncrumple it. Now it’s time to assemble everything!
Place some of the streamer grass on the board then place the nest in the center and add a couple of painted egg shells. Position the others, add some more crepe grass and then put the lid on.
Add some bits of jute twine in the middle because birds use whatever they find to build nests, right?
Cover a small manila tag with a scrap of leftover washi and kraft papers and add an eyelet and a butterfly charm. Tie the tag to the top of the cloche with plain cotton baker’s twine.