How to create cosmic space eggs

Make eggs into colourful and weird planet-like creations

1. Egg-cellent preparation

First, you need a hard-boiled egg. Ask an adult to help you boil an egg, let it cool, then put it in a bowl and completely cover it with vinegar. Leave it for five minutes.

2. Fill your tray

Next, you need to take a shallow container, like a tray, and fill it with whipped cream – the spray version is easiest. Then use a spoon to flatten the cream to a smooth surface.

3. Add some colour

Drizzle some food colouring – preferably in bright, neon colours – into the cream. Try a mix of little drops and big splashes. You can use more than one colour if you like.

4. Spread and expand

Now take a toothpick or chopstick and swirl the food colouring so that the colours mix a little and the surface of the cream is covered. Try to make some cool, sweeping patterns!

5. De-shelling

Use a spoon to lift the egg (or eggs) out of the vinegar. Gently rub them with a paper towel and you’ll see that the outer layer of the shell comes off. Keep going until it’s all gone.

6. Roll it out

Now roll your white eggs through the colour mixture in the cream, making sure the whole surface is covered. Use plastic gloves for this part to keep the colouring off your hands!

7. Dry it off

Leave your eggs on a plate so that the colouring can dry. Once they’re done you should be left with an egg that looks more like an amazing, colourful planet!

© Illustrations by Ed Crooks


This article was originally published in How It Works issue 117, written by Stephen Ashby


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