The Ecological Egg: a Perfect Gift

This project is a simple and fun way to develop a low-budget gift, with materials available at home that everyone who likes sustainable ideas will love.

This project consists of breaking an egg on the top, to use it as a pot for raising beautiful small plants. Before braking it you can wrap it as a gift, making the ecological egg the perfect gift.

Oregano seeds (You can use any variety you want, but has to be small size plants like spices)

1 egg (could be white or brown)

1 coffee paper filter

1 old plastic cup

1/2 cup of black soil rich in nutrients

1 feet ribbon

1 feet ribbon to make a top knot

Tape

Hot glue

Scissors

Knife

Ink pen

Soda cap

Water sprayer

We have to make a base plate where the egg will be placed, this plate receives the excess of water.

Start cutting with the knife 1/2" above the base. When you have enough space, continue cutting with the scissors until you have a small plate. You can buy small clay plates in hardware stores but they are not always available, that´s why I decided to do my own.

WARNING!!! This step must be done by adults. Working with knifes and scissors is dangerous and you could be injured. If minors are going to make this project, always give them the plates already cut.

With the scissors, carefully break the other side of the egg pointed zone. With the fingers make carefully a 3/4" diam. hole.

Place the egg in a container for later use. Here, in www.instructables.com you will find a lot of great projects and recipes to use it.

Carefully clean the egg shell and let it dry.

First, place soil in the egg shell (just one cap size amount). Second, place around five oregano seeds. Third, fill the egg shell with soil, 1/2" before the edge.

With the cap and the pen, draw a circle, cut the circle with the scissors and glue it to the egg shell in order to seal the bottom.

Warning!!! this step must be done by adults because using hot glue is dangerous; could cause burns, minors could use a cold glue instead, under adult supervision.

Turn around the egg and try not to shake it. Place the egg on the small plate and wrap it with the ribbon. Make a top knot with the other ribbon and paste it on the top.

Your gift is ready¡¡¡¡¡

Break the pointed side of the egg, take the small pieces of the egg shell with your fingers in order to do a 1" diam. hole, spray water two or three times a day. Before the seeds germinate keep the egg shell out of the sunlight in a warm place. After germination, keep it in an area where sunlight is present at least 4 hours a day. The germination period and growing size depends on the plant you decide to use. Always use small size plants. If the plant grows more than 6" height then transplant the egg to bigger pot, placing the egg in the new pot and breaking the egg shell to allow the roots to grow freely.