My kids always LOVED Easter!  They loved coloring the eggs, hunting the eggs and rummaging through baskets to see what the Easter Bunny had brought them. 

Older Kids Still Love Holidays

The kids got older, as they have a nasty habit of doing. But, they still loved all these things just as much but it was harder to find what to put inside those cute, colorful, plastic eggs that would be of value to say an eleven year old, or a thirteen year old.  So I came up with this little twist. Instead of just filling our eggs with candy, coins, or stickers I decided to try filling our eggs with something more valuable. At least to our “tweens”. I started filling them with coupons like “Get out of one chore this week”, “Pizza of choice delivered to your room”  and “Stay up late an extra 30 minutes”. They LOVED finding the new eggs and couldn’t wait to compare their finds!  

While you’re in Easter mode check out this cute and custom Easter sign DIY,

New Twist

Then I thought let’s take new twist (at least new to us) one step further and make the eggs more durable than the plastic ones that always have a way of popping open while you’re trying to hide them. You know it’s true.  We have all had that moment when the dog finds them before the kids do and eats what’s inside, or all candy inside melts before the kids can find them all (I live in Florida) or, you hide it ever so gingerly in a perfect spot only for it to burst open like a mini pinata spilling the goodies all over the lawn. 

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My “Happy Place” Is Where I Scored My Solution

Wandering through the Target “dollar spot” is where I stumbled upon the solution to my problem.  I found these wooden eggs and my plan was hatched.  (Sorry, corny puns are my thing. Lol)  Choosing how I wanted to color the eggs was a tough decision.  Acrylic paint was an obvious and easy choice but I wanted to try something more creative so I wondered if I could dye them using alcohol ink.  I was hoping it would allow the wood grain to show through so the eggs would actually look like wood.  Since I bought two sets to start with I decided to try each method on a set. One set was painted with regular acrylic paint in traditional Easter egg colors.   

The second set I decided to mix a dye using alcohol inks (much like you would for dying regular hard-boiled Easter eggs).  I used two Tbsp. of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol with approximately a teaspoon of alcohol ink. Mix them together in a disposable cup and place the wooden egg inside.  I used plastic gloves in an attempt to protect my hands. I am bad about getting stuff on me when I craft.

Loving the Results!

They came out unique and beautifully showcasing their wood grain.  Then I had a third idea…what about painting the eggs so they will glow in the dark? I mixed regular, clear drying, white glue  (3 oz.) with 3 heaping Tbsp. of  glow in the dark powder. Then, I coated my acrylic painted eggs.   Here’s the “why” I made my own: often, pre mixed glow in the dark paint either only comes in neon green or requires a black light.

Let’s LASER Some Eggs!

These are solid wood, filling them would not be possible so I decided to LASER the coupons onto the eggs!!  (Apparently there is nothing I won’t try to laser.) The first step in lasering the eggs was to figure out how to measure the thickest part of the egg.  Digital calipers come in handy for this.  My eggs were almost eggsactly (Did you catch that?) two inches thick at the thickest part. That meant I would need to pull out the honeycomb tray inside the bed of the Glowforge. 

Then I set up a very primitive jig in the bed to hold the eggs still and level while the laser did its magic. If you think you’d like to possess the power of a Glowforge Laser then use my link to save save you $500 off a Pro, $250 off a Plus, or $100 off a Basic and earn me a commission without costing you a penny more!  

Choose Your Fonts Wisely

First, let’s talk settings, once the egg is placed on the jig in the bed of the laser you need to go into your graphic design software of choice to write the sentiments.  Inkscape is free so that is what I use.  Fonts are important, not all my eggs are as “read-able” as I would have liked due to my poor font choice on a couple.  (See the video below for a work around for that in case you also have font failure.) The speed was set at 1000, power at 90 and thickness was set at .02 under “uncertified material”.  

These Eggs Will Outlast the Coronavirus

When the eggs were done I lightly coated them with mineral oil so they would keep their finish. Sort of like when you use Lemon Pledge on your wood furniture.  As a bonus these eggs can be used year after year. A big plus for those of you who are avid about being environmentally conscious. 

Now…What Say You?

What coupons would you personally like to find engraved on an egg you find???  Mine would say “dinner at Bonefish” (except for Corona quarantine) or “glass of wine served tub side”  Lol.

Comment below and let me know your “Golden Egg”.   And, while you’re here subscribe! No SPAM I promise. Just access to our free files and resource library.