Do-it-yourself eggshell mosaic: a master class on an interesting technique. eggshell mosaic

On the eve of Easter, we offer you to consider five original ideas on how to make holiday decor from eggshells.

Idea #1

Eggshell as a candlestick

An egg stand can be a wonderful candlestick on a festive table if you complement it with wax and a wick that will be placed in the shell.

You will need:

• Empty egg shells
• Candles
• Scissors
• egg container
• Plate
• Egg stand

Step #1. We melt candles

We place the candles in a glass bowl and put it in the oven for 15 minutes so that the wax has time to melt and the wick can be easily removed.

Step #2. We paint the shell

To make the shell look more festive, you can dye it with food or natural dye. Some shells can only be painted on top, while others, for a change, can also be painted inside.

Step #3. Filling the shell with wax

We place the wick on the bottom of the eggshell so that it remains upright, then pour the melted wax into the shell. We wait a few minutes for the wax to harden, after which the shell can be placed in an egg tray or in another impromptu stand for candlestick eggs.

Idea #2

Colored shell candlesticks

This idea is even simpler than the previous one, moreover, it is completely safe and you can safely involve children in its implementation.

You will need:

• Empty eggshells (the number should equal the empty cells in the tray)
• Candles
• egg container
• Bright food coloring

Step #1. Coloring shells with food coloring

As in the first idea, it all depends on your imagination, a few shells can be left in their natural form, others can be painted on the outside, others can be completely immersed when stained. The more diverse each of these candlesticks is, the more original they will look all together.

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Step #2. We place candles in the shell

We advise you to take large eggs so that the candle can be placed on the bottom of each shell. Next, place the candlestick eggs in the container. If you light all the candles at the same time and place the tray on the table, then the Easter table will become even more elegant.

Idea #3

Mini vases made from eggshells

This idea isn't functional or practical, but who said holiday decor has to be useful or durable? Sometimes it is enough that he is handsome, smart and just looking at him you want to smile.

You will need:

• Frame (for fixing finished egg vases)
• Painted eggshell
• Awl or thick needle
• dense thread
• Flowers or greenery for decoration

Step #1. Hanging the eggshell

To begin with, we need to select two shells, make holes according to the gods with an awl or a needle and pierce them with a thread, for which we will hang our decor. In the example of eggs - vases are attached to a photo frame.

Step #2. Decorate a vase with flowers

Please note that the flowers should not be large and not heavy, after all, the mount is not designed for heavy weight.

Idea #4

Egg shell pots

Such an idea can be a decoration on the windowsill or a centerpiece on the Easter table.

You will need:

• A variety of eggs (white, brown, goose) that need to be emptied of yolk and protein and dried.
• some earth
• Greens for decorations that will be planted (rosemary / sage / parsley / onion / thyme / basil).
• egg tray

Step #1. We fill up the ground for planting in the shell

In any flower shop, you can buy land for planting plants at home, it is rich in fertilizers and various amino acids.

Step #2. Planting greens in egg shells

We decorate the flowerpots with all kinds of greenery, in addition, you can decorate the shells with roses or other flowers. Next, install the eggs with decorations in the container.

Idea #5

Decorative vases

This idea is somewhat similar to the previous one, with the only difference that this is a vase with decorative flowers, and not a mini-pot.

You will need:

• Eggshell
• Decorative flowers
• Plastic coasters
• Glass beads

Step #1. Making a shell stand

All kinds of food tapes (this can be foil or baking paper) have tubes at the base on which they are wound, and so they are ideal for the “legs” for these vases. Cut off part of the ring and attach it with glue to the base of the shell.

Step #2. We decorate a vase

We fill the vase with dried moss and artificial flowers.
All selected details for decoration should be light, after all, the shell is rather fragile, it is better not to make it heavier.

Using eggs to create paintings was invented by medieval artists. Paints based on natural materials formed the basis of the most outstanding works of art. This master class offers to look at the egg as a tool for creativity from a new angle. This time, the shell will go.

For the project you will need:

• eggshell;
• gouache of different colors;
• water;
• brushes for paint and varnish;
• colorless varnish;
• tweezers;
• acetone;
• PVA glue

First you need to prepare the eggshell. If the eggs have traces of contamination, it is best to wash them before cracking them. Dry the eggs with a towel and split into two halves. Let the shell dry. Apply gouache to the halves of the dry shell. Fresh paint does not need to be diluted with water so that the layer is dense and uniform. Since you need different colors, make sure that there is a napkin or towel on the table with which you can wipe off traces of different colors.

Paint the whole shell. It is better to prepare it with a margin. Instead of gouache, you can use acrylic paint, especially if you want to get a gold or silver shell. Wait until the paint is completely dry before applying varnish. Lift the halves of the shell with tweezers so as not to damage the color, and spread them with varnish. If you use varnish in an aerosol, you can spray all the shells right on the table. If pieces break off during work, cover them with varnish and paint - they will be useful for mosaics. When you're done, wash your nail polish brush and tweezers in acetone. Leave the varnish to dry.

After the shells are completely dry, break them into small pieces. It is important that they are practically flat. It remains to choose the surface that will be decorated. It can be a cardboard base with a printed pattern, a vase or even a mug.

For such a mosaic, PVA glue is well suited. Apply the base and let it dry a little. Then apply glue to the colored piece of shell, holding it with tweezers. Submit your chosen drawing.

Bulky objects, such as vases or flower pots, can also be decorated with shells.

You can complement the mosaic with other types of decor. On vases, pots and other items that perform not only a decorative function, it will not be superfluous to additionally varnish the mosaic.

The original mosaic made in this technique looks on jewelry.

You can try to imitate the pattern of natural stone.

You can create interesting panels on any topic. For example, such a picture can decorate a bathroom. But for a wet room, an additional layer of varnish is needed.

To work on the mosaic, we need a shell. Therefore, my advice to beginners is to start collecting shells in advance, you will need a large amount. I want to note that this is not a master class. Just a description of the technology, ideas, a story about how I do it with my own hands. You will succeed, I'm sure, not worse.

Eggshell painting

Do you eat eggs? And during Easter? Even if you are a small fan of this product, it is customary to eat them on this spring holiday, to exchange beautiful painted eggs.

Save all egg scraps - the shells - after the holidays. Because with its help very beautiful pictures turn out.

We will make such a chic bright colored mosaic panel for the interior. This is an eggshell mosaic of dyed chicken eggs - you can make it yourself without spending a dime.

Our work of art will be very cheap, unless it takes a long time to make. After all, the material will be garbage, which usually immediately goes to the trash.

I don’t know where, but here in Germany, in addition to fresh eggs, boiled eggs are also sold in stores, so they are always, without exception, multi-colored, dyed. All sorts of colors, there are specially unevenly painted, stained

Mosaic egg shell

If the Easter holiday is long behind or still far ahead, it's okay - any white eggshell will do, we will paint it ourselves, even with acrylic paints, even with onion peel, and whatever. Eggshell brown can also be used as is, only for darker shades. Theoretically, you can try quail, but it is thinner, as well as fragile and speckled, although it is possible that it will be useful for something.

I have another mosaic picture using the same technique, the "Lovers" picture, link at the very bottom after the article.

Differently colored eggs will work for our purposes, but I especially like solid solid colors. In many manuals, you can read that only raw shells from uncooked eggs are suitable for mosaic work, but I did it differently, only I tried to remove the film from the inside by running my finger over it several times with a little pressure, then it just rolls into lumps, it can simply be removed. If it dries out, then it will be much more difficult, if not impossible.

Mosaic from painted eggshell Tuscany

A mosaic pattern can be laid out not only on a flat surface, it is successfully done on convex balls, dishes - decorative plates, vases, bottles, it can be used to decorate flower pots, a frame for a picture or photograph.

The bright drawing of sunny Tuscany is very suitable for creativity with graphic lines, clear boundaries of fields, cypresses, shades of the sky and houses.

Egg shell mosaic technology for beginners

My technology for making flat products using shells is simple, as always.

• A dense base is taken, anything can serve as it, cardboard, plywood, plastic.
• First, the base must be primed, covered with black acrylic paint. Acrylic, in principle, can be of any color, it depends on the idea, although white, black creates, in my opinion, a more interesting contrasting pattern.
• You need to take care of a template motif or just a sample in advance, come up with it or find it on the Internet. Mark out the outlines on our basis. You can use a sharp crayon, I do it with an ordinary soft pencil, it is visible - it glistens on black acrylic.
• Next - start laying out the colored shell pieces according to the pattern, glue them with glue. I usually use PVA glue, there are many varieties of it, the cheapest one is called school glue (Schulkleber), it is sold in any stationery store in a small plastic bottle - it is inexpensive, about 1 euro. Its color is the same whitish, the smell also resembles PVA. Taste-wise, I have no idea. :)

Shell work is a very painstaking type of needlework. To speed things up, I immediately take large pieces (where the drawing allows it), smear them on the inside with glue, press them to the base so that they crack smaller, and then, until the glue grabs, I push them apart with a needle so that they are equal between them. gaps through which black acrylic paint will beautifully shine through, creating a crackle effect. By the way, if the film is not previously cleaned, then already at this stage it will be ugly visible against a dark background.

Some stick white egg shell fragments close to the white base, and then apply a pattern on top, this is also possible. I prefer the deliberate decorativeness of products with shells and black cracks.

When the entire drawing is applied, you need to let the glue dry well, for example, leave it overnight. Now it remains only to apply the finishing touches so that our egg shell mosaic plays.

I cover the surface with several layers of acrylic varnish. It is good because it practically does not smell of anything. But still, it is better to work in a well-ventilated area. As soon as one layer dries, apply the next. I do 3-4 coats of varnish, this is enough. Mosaic acquires strength and brilliance.

There is also a crackle technique, which can also be done independently, while the white egg shell is first laid out, and then, when the glue dries, it is painted with paints. At the same time, there are no cracks of a contrasting color, since they are painted over, but the uneven texture remains.

From above, in the same way, the work can be varnished. The work turns out to be interesting, “cracked”, reminiscent of paintings by ancient masters. The surface texture is laid out with the shell.

How to choose a frame for work from the shell

Now the most important thing is to choose a frame for our panel. Mosaic with eggshell must be framed. Those who are engaged in painting advise buying a frame when the picture is ready, and not vice versa.

I advise you to find out in advance in the store what standard sizes the frames are, so as not to miss the choice of the base. After all, if the size is completely non-standard, then the finished frames will not be suitable for panels using the shell, you will have to do it yourself (well, if someone knows how) or to order - then it will cost much more.

Happy Easter to you!

You may be interested in:

We all eat eggs. If you do not throw away, but gradually collect all the waste, then you can lay out a drawing of various shapes on a sheet of cardboard yourself with fragments of the shell of ordinary eggs of a natural color - white or brown. Or even use only white ones - on a black background, a white mosaic looks great! The play of light and shadow.

Here are collected works mainly by Vietnamese craftsmen from eggshells of natural colors, planted on glue, the base can be thick cardboard, a wooden plank or any other non-flat surface, such as, for example, a vase. Coating with many protective layers, there can be up to twenty. White shards on a black background.

You can decorate the interior with both eggshells and ordinary glass mosaics; it also looks good on uneven surfaces. With the help of glass mosaic tiles, it is very easy to modify vases. No drawing is needed, we will create it with colored glass. In the post you will find another, I would say, even more unusual method of covering the inside of the bowl with a mirror mosaic.

Have you ever been to the St. Petersburg mosaic courtyard? It is located in the center, next to the Summer Garden, almost by the Neva, on Tchaikovsky Street. Unremarkable from the outside, like thousands of others. But as soon as you go inside ... Something unusual, bright, exciting fantasy opens before you. Mosaics are everywhere - on the facades of houses, on walls, in porches, on curbs, on a playground. This is a must see!

Many centuries ago, Chinese and Vietnamese lacquer artists began to use this raw material to create their miniatures. They drew attention to the fact that when pressed on the shell, a beautiful pattern is formed from the finest cracks, making the blanks look like the surface of a cracked rock or an ancient wall. The shell began to be used in lacquer painting to depict various buildings and crowns of flowering trees. Masters of the East managed to turn the main drawback of the eggshell - fragility - into its main artistic merit.

In general, the decoration of the background with a mesh of cracks is used not only in eggshell mosaics, but also in other decorative crafts. Such a pattern can be seen on pottery covered with a special glaze, or on hand-painted fabric. Regardless of what material they are made on, such cracks are always called craquelure, and the technique of creating a pattern of cracks that creates the effect of antiquity is called CRACKLE.

Unlike eggshell toys, crackle mosaics made from the same material are strong and durable. If you work carefully, carefully finish even small details of a mosaic set, you can learn how to make crafts that are in no way inferior to purchased souvenirs. Eggshell ornaments are used not only for flat objects - all kinds of caskets and wall panels, but also blanks turned on a lathe - vases, pencil holders, decorative dishes and plates.

Let's try to make a mosaic picture out of an eggshell or, as experienced artists say, a mosaic set. Unprepared raw materials for our mosaic are more like garbage - these are not even whole eggshells, but just their uneven fragments. It is not easy to imagine that facing plates can be made from them, which have a special decorative property and look like ivory. Nevertheless, it is so.

Of course, guys, you will immediately want to decorate a specific thing with a crackle mosaic - decorate a box or a vase with a shell. Take your time. Let's first practice on small boards, and then, having mastered the secrets of the craft, we will do more complex work. By the way, if any educational craft turns out to be very successful, it can be used as the basis for a small wall panel or other souvenir.

You will need:

Before you start work, you need to stock up on raw materials, that is, eggshells.

1. Be sure to rinse the shells in lukewarm water.

2. And then dip into a solution of baking soda in order to degrease their surface.

3. Now it remains only to dry the blanks well.

4. And for the time being, put them in cardboard boxes for storage. When a large number of shells of different shades are typed, we will be engaged in the manufacture of facing plates.

MANUFACTURE OF FACING PLATES

First of all, we will decide which glue is more convenient to use for gluing parts.
The fact is that when using PVA, the quality of gluing is higher, but insufficiently experienced craftsmen often fail to firmly connect the shell to the paper.
Working with "Moment" is easier, but this glue has a pungent odor, and the strength of the connection of parts decreases over time.
If we choose PVA, then it is enough to apply a thin layer of glue on the inner surface of the shells, and when gluing the parts with “Moment”, it is necessary to lubricate both the lining and the shell.

Now we are all set to flatten and smooth the shells.

If you carefully examine the shell of a fresh egg, you can see a thin film lining it from the inside. Upon impact, such a shell will not crumble into separate fragments - its pieces will be held together by an elastic film. We will use the hint of nature and glue a special lining under the fragile shells, for example, a sheet of thin paper. The blanks supplemented with lining are easy to cut with ordinary scissors - the shells do not crumble into separate pieces. But how to glue semicircular shells to a flat sheet of paper? That's why we need a trowel.

Lay out the prepared shell with the convex side up on sheets of paper. While doing this work, it’s a good idea to sort the blanks by color - stick only snow-white shells on one sheet, yellowish ones on the other, pinkish-brown on the third, and spotted fragments of quail eggs on the fourth:

Such a division into colors and shades will help us when making a mosaic set.

We cover the shells with a sheet of plywood and slightly press on it - you will hear a slight crackle, and the blanks will be flattened.

If the raw material was glued with PVA, we will hold the plywood in this position for about a minute, and if with the “Moment”, then we will immediately proceed to the next operation.

We take a trowel in our hands and with a little effort we iron each piece of the shell.

The blanks will crack into many tiny pieces and at the same time adhere more firmly to the paper. Let's take a closer look - an almost indistinguishable network of cracks covers the shell. These are the same craquelure, which we have already discussed. So far, they do not affect the appearance of the facing plates, and we have yet to develop the crackle pattern.

Facing plates must be covered on top with a protective layer of tracing paper. The protective layer will not only protect the shell from crumbling, but also facilitate the transfer of the working drawing to the material. It is necessary to stick the tracing paper with a paste, it is easily washed off from the surface of the workpieces, leaving no traces. Under translucent paper, it can be difficult to distinguish the color of the prepared raw materials, so we mark each sealed sheet with a small shell of the desired shade. The label will tell us the color of the blanks hidden under the paper.

MAKE A MOSAIC

And now, when we have prepared a sufficient number of facing plates, let's try to make our first mosaic set.
First, we will master the simplest kind of crackle mosaic, and then, having gained a little experience, more complex ones.
The easiest way to stick on the background are the details of the ornament pre-cut from the eggshell. This method is suitable for small jobs in which image details do not exceed the dimensions of flattened shells, and a significant amount of space is given to the background.

Now that we have prepared a sufficient number of facing plates, let's try to make our first mosaic set.

First, copy the ornament shown in the figure:

Let's put tracing paper on the page of the book and outline the contours of the image - the working drawing is ready.

It can be used repeatedly - just put a sheet of carbon paper under the tracing paper and circle the lines of the ornament again. When making a mosaic set, the drawing will have to be transferred twice - onto the board, which serves as the basis for the product, and onto the facing plates.

Applying an image to a smooth board is easy - you need to put carbon paper and tracing paper on it, fasten them with buttons and carefully outline the lines with a hard, sharp
sharpened pencil.

The drawing is transferred to small, uneven pieces of the shell piece by piece.

Let's first number all the details of the ornament as shown in the figure - this will help us not to make mistakes when assembling the mosaic.

Now let's put the image of one of the parts of the ornament on the shell and circle it with a pencil.

Let's assign each part a number corresponding to the number in the working drawing.

Having cut out all the parts of the mosaic from the eggshell, grease them on the inside with PVA glue and glue them to the background.

Let's wait for the glue to dry completely and remove the protective layer of paper covering the shells. To do this, slightly moisten the mosaic set with a sponge or a wide brush. Let's wait until the paper softens, and remove it from the shell.

The crackle mosaic is almost ready, and all that remains for us is to color the background and develop the craquelures.

We use black or colored ink for painting crafts.

Our choice is not accidental - the chemical properties of the carcass allow you to quickly and efficiently finish the workpiece. The bile, which is part of this dye, penetrates into the thinnest, invisible cracks, dragging particles of paint with it, and after drying, the shellac contained in them ceases to dissolve in water and turns into a kind of cement that holds the tiny shells together.

First, ink on the background of the mosaic set. And then, when it dries, - and an ornament from a shell. When coloring the shells, it is very interesting to watch how graceful dark branches of cracks grow. Here they rush forward, scatter to the sides, branch out, filling the white background with an unusual mesh pattern.

Having shown the craquelures in this way, wipe the plates from the shell with a damp cloth, removing excess ink. After rubbing, the paint will remain only in the cracks, and the ornament itself will again acquire a white or cream shade.

POLISHING THE MOSAIC SET

Sanding a mosaic set is a very responsible operation! The thickness of the shell is small, and careless movement of the grinding bar can easily damage the facing plate.

To begin with, we will process the mosaic set with a wooden block wrapped in the finest sandpaper. Then we start polishing. We need a very simple tool for polishing - a piece of ordinary writing paper.

In the manufacture of paper, substances such as chalk and kaolin are introduced into it, giving it a roughness. With their help, we will polish the mosaic set, which, after a short treatment, will acquire a soft silky sheen, which is especially noticeable against the dark background of the ink-painted board.

Elena Artamonova "Unusual souvenirs and toys"

And that's not far from perfection.