The crushing of cascarones is something I first experienced as a child, and the sensation is one that has stuck with me into adulthood. The egg, painstakingly crafted, has a sort of preciousness that makes it exciting to destroy. Its delicate form is so easy and so fun to break, and in knowing it was made to be broken, the smashing of it requires no hesitation. Culminating in a rush of fluttering colorful paper, all the elements of cascarones come together to form a truly joyful moment.
I made cascarones quite a few times growing up. First in school, when a classmate’s generous and cool mom came and taught my class how to make them, and then many times on my own following that experience, which I rated as nothing less than magical. This was my first time making them as an adult, and it still ranks as first-rate magic.
Eggs have long been a symbol for new life and fertility, mirroring the state of nature in the Springtime. For the celebration of Spring, I wanted to paint my confetti eggs to keep the look of birds’ eggs, and fill them with more of nature’s bounty: dried flowers. Cascarones can be crafted and enjoyed so many different ways, and are easy to make your own.
What are Confetti Eggs?
Cascarones, which directly translates from Spanish as “shells”, are a staple of celebrations in Mexico. There, these joyful capsuled confetti showers are employed at parties of all kinds, from weddings and birthdays, to Dia de los Muertos, where the hollowed out eggshells may be painted to resemble tiny skulls. Cascarones are sometimes hidden, then sought out to be thrown or cracked over the heads of friends and family. The recipient of the confetti egg is said to be showered with luck.
In Texas and other American states that border Mexico, the tradition of Cascarones has been combined with another egg-oriented holiday: Easter. The hollowed out eggshells are dyed, just as easter eggs would be, then traditionally filled with confetti and sealed with tissue paper.
Cascarones Supplies
You Will Need:
- Eggs (I used two white and two brown)
- Spoon
- Paring knife and/or toothpick
- Tissue paper (I used white tissue for the blue painted eggs and brown tissue for the brown speckled eggs)
- Craft glue, Elmer’s glue, or ModPodge
- Acrylic craft paints
- Paint brush
- Toothbrush
- Dried flower confetti
How to Make Confetti Eggs Step-by-Step
Hollowing Out the Eggs
The eggs can be hollowed out a number of ways. The tricky part is avoiding large cracks!
After a couple of tries, here’s the method I settled on:
Turn a spoon vertically so that the narrow tip of the spoon is straight down on the wider end of the egg.
Gently tap-tap-tap with the tip of the spoon to make tiny cracks.
Then, use a paring knife or a toothpick to pull the cracked bit of the egg up and create an opening.
Poke the toothpick into the egg to scramble the yolk (this will make it easier to pour out.)
Pour the contents of the egg out.
(If you want to save the eggs to cook later, seal in an air-tight container for 1-2 days.)
Rinse out the eggshells and leave out to dry for 24 hours.
I like to set them open side down first, and then tip them on their side.
Filling and Sealing
Fill the dry eggshells with the dried flowers.
Cut a square of tissue paper. Hold it over the hole to make sure it will cover the hole entirely.
Use a paintbrush to dab glue all around the hole of the shell.
Place the tissue square over top of the hole and press down the edges to adhere.
Paint glue over the edges of the tissue, avoiding the hole itself.
Leave to dry.
Decorating
Use the craft paints to paint the surface of the egg and the tissue around the covered hole. I painted one side, let dry, then painted the other side.
To create speckles and dots, blend black or brown paint with a little bit of water. Then, dip in a toothbrush. For speckles, use your thumb on the back of the toothbrush head and your pointer finger to pull back the bristles and spray the paint onto the eggs.
For dots, gently shake the toothbrush over the eggs.
Note: I recommend practicing this a few times on paper to get the hang of it. Some trailing paint is unavoidable, so embrace the Pollock of it all! This is also pretty messy, so consider doing it outside, in a cardboard box, or in a sink.
Let dry, and enjoy!
