I've had a lot of Halloween projects that I've loved in the past - The Midnight Visitor, the floating table, creepy Halloween Books - but this year's party invitations could easily rank in the top 3.

Because of the baby, we're keeping our Halloween party much smaller this year (just family, really). 
The scaled back proportions gave me a little more wiggle room to do something unexpectedly fabulous in the invite department.  Initially, I considered just buying something really cool, but after spending way too many late nights trolling the internet, I fell in love with a brilliant idea on Etsy: Halloween invites that can only be retrieved by cracking an egg.

What?!  Love the interactive design!!  However the price tag came in a little higher than what I wanted to pay (It would have been about $85 for 10, and that wouldn't include the cost of sending them to guests... yikes!)  Besides, the artist in me needed to figure out how to make them myself.

After a bunch of trial and error, I finally had the invite that was exactly what I was looking for - mysterious, fun, exciting... Making them was almost as much fun as receiving them (and I've had rave reviews from recipients!)



Supplies: 
 
10 3"x3" boxes
10 4"x4" boxes
10 chicken eggs (you may need more if any crack)
Corsage Pin
Wooden skewers
Printed invites/"Crack Me" signs/Raven graphics

Mod Podge
Tissue Paper
Spray Paint
Spanish Moss
Embellishments
Twine
Feathers
Washi Tape
Crinkle Cut Filler


 Blowing Out the Egg

- Using a long corsage pin (cleaned with alcohol), I punctured a tiny hole in the very top of the egg (the skinny part).  This is the hardest part of the shell and takes steady pressure.
- I then used the pin to puncture a hole in the very bottom of the egg.


- Once the pin was fully inserted, I swirled it around to break up as much of the yolk as possible.  (This makes draining it out a lot easier.  Found that out the hard way...)
- I used a wooden skewer to carefully punch out small sections of the hole on the bottom, widening it slightly.  I tried several different methods of increasing the size (including using a small drill bit) but this was just as effective as any of them.


- Holding the egg over a clean bowl, I blew into the hole on the very top of the egg, forcing all of the yolk and white out the underside.  I personally saved the eggs and used them for eating and baking, but you could certainly discard them.
- I rinsed the inside with water and then left them on a windowsill to dry out.


Invites and Sealing the Egg

- While the eggs were drying, I created invites, printed them on antique white parchment paper, and cut them into 1"x5" strips.

 - Once the eggs were completely dry, I curled the invites around another wooden skewer (I'm telling you, those things are so useful!), and, ever-so-carefully, inserted them into the tiny hole in the bottom of the egg.


- To seal the eggs, I used a small piece of white tissue paper and a super thin coat of Mod Podge.  I tried a bunch of different things to seal the egg but this method was far and away the best. It was easy, thin, and blended quite well particularly after it was painted (which brings me to...)


- The final step with the egg was to paint it using silver spray paint and then layering an uneven dusting of matte black over top.  After it was painted and dried the holes were only noticeable if you knew to look for them.


The Presentation & Packaging

- After allowing the egg to dry completely, I tucked it into a nest of Spanish moss in a 3"x3" box I had purchased from Michaels for around 80 cents.  Each of the 3"x3" boxes received a round "Crack Me" cut out on the inside of their lid, visible just above the egg when the box is opened.


- The 3"x3" boxes were closed up and tied with black and white twine, and a sparkly embellishment was added to the top.  For extra flair, and a nod to the contents, I tucked a black feather under the twine.


- Finally, I placed the whole thing into a 4"x4" box (also around 80 cents) with crinkle cut paper shreds tucked all around for stability and protection.  I added a cool raven graphic to the inside lid, closed it up and sealed it with a piece of black and white washi tape. Done!   Who wouldn't want to receive one of these enigmatic packages?


Other Stuff

Money: 
- In total, each invite cost about $2.  The only thing I had to purchase were the boxes - everything else I acquired by raiding my craft supplies.  Shipping cost an additional $2.40 per package, but I still think it was worth it.
- If you live close enough, you could save some money by dropping them off personally. It would be just as cool to find one of these on your doorstep!!
- And, if you love the look and aren't all about the crafting part, by all means, buy them from this seller on Etsy.  It's such a fantastic idea and can work for so many parties. 

This Year...
I'm considering adding either a Poe theme or a Dinner in The Graveyard theme to our upcoming party but a lot depends on weather and time.  I'm way behind schedule this year and it's throwing me off my game a bit (I feel like I'm going to be saying that until a certain adorable freeloader is 18 and out of the house...).  Ah well.  The guests are family - they have to love me.  Besides, even if everyone shows up and all I have is a takeout menu, one shoe on and a paper bag over my head by way of costume (I'll be dressing as a mentally affected mom in this scenario), at least I'll have sent some pretty bad ass invitations.  That's gotta count for something!