Uses for Eggshells

I don't think I mentioned it before, but I'm a chick mama. Although they can be a little bossy at times, they are the sweetest, and they are spoiled! At the moment we have 4 older hens:

Snowflake, a white Easter Egger; named because she's white as a snowflake.
Isabel, a Rhode Island Red; my son named her after his sister. LOL.
Runner, a Ameraucana Welsummer pullet is known for her swiftness.
Cluckers, also an Easter Egger is the clucker of the bunch, as you may have guessed. lol She's had a bit of a tramatic life which I'll have to share about one day.
and  Baby, a Rhode Island Red, is our newest little chick that we just bought this past March. 

Here's some eggs we collected the other day, can you guess who makes which color?

We live within the city limits where chickens aren't really allowed, but we have enough space, and the neighbors don't seem to mind. The kids (mine, and the ones I take care of) have loved taking care of the girls, and collecting eggs. With 4 active layers, we usually get 4 eggs a day, everyday and that means a lot of eggshells! So what all can you do with said eggshells? Here's a few ideas, plus several the kids will enjoy too:

How to crush eggshells: After I rinse and dry the eggshells, I let the kids have fun crushing with a pestle and mortar or by crushing with a rolling pin, or glass, in a large ziploc baggie that has a small opening to release air pressure. For a finer grit/powder form, I place in the coffee/spice grinder.

In the Garden:

• Feed back to chickens: Layers need a lot of calcium and often need supplements like oyster shell, to get that calcium. When hens become Calcium deficient, it can lead to eggs that are thin-shelled, and possibly shell-less (what I like to call lizard eggs). I rinse an dry eggshells,crush,and finely grind with a grinder (or else they won't eat) and add to their feedings.
• Fertilizer and Composting :Just crush or grind them up and add to your compost or around plants. Did you know crushed eggshells can help keep snails and slugs away because they don't like going over the shell? It can also help keep cats from using your garden like a litter box.
• Prevent blossom end rot: Tomatoes and cucumbers are especially susceptible to blossom end rot. Sprinkle crushed eggshell around the vegetables to prevent this and provide some calcium carbonate.
• Seedling starters: Need a place to grow seedlings? Take an eggshell, rinse, add a hole on bottom for drainage and crack the other end. You can leave undecorated or get the kids involved and have them carefully create funny faces with markers and googly eyes. Fill the open-end with dirt and a couple of seeds.  Once they’re ready to be planted, just crack the eggshell at the bottom and plant the young plant along with the shell. 

• Make cascarones- In Texas, cascarones are a big tradition at Easter. So why buy from the store, when you can make your own? When using eggs, carefully break off a small piece at the top to remove yolk. Then, wash and let fully dry. You can then dye (brown eggs dye in darker hues so beautifully!) and let fully dry again. Then, carefully add confetti through opening. Last, place glue (I recommend Elmers white as it easily spreads) around outside of opening and cover with a small piece of paper streamer or tissue paper. These are loads of fun to crack them on each other, but do know beforehand that these biodegradable party favors can get messy! These are great all year round, especially for birthday parties and cookouts.

• Make homemade sidewalk chalk: Here's another fun one for the kids. Grind up 5-8 shells, add 1 tbsp of hot water, 1 tbsp of flour, and food coloring. Mix together and then pack into empty toilet rolls or ice tray forms until dried. I'm still playing with the recipe so I will update if I find a better recipe. I believe I bought this ice tray for $1 at Dollar Tree a while back.

• Ornaments/Figurines: I know I haven't personally made these and I wonder if anyone does this any more, or if it's become a lost art? Take a fresh egg, poke a hole bottom and top and blow the egg yolk through. Rinse and let them dry. You can then dye or handpaint them and then top coat them so they last longer. 

Household Uses:

• Cleaning dishes: Use eggshells to clean pots and pans that are tough to clean. They work wonderfully as an abrasive.
• Remove coffee and tea stains: Have a mug that is stained, no matter how you scrub? Add in some ground up eggshells, drop them in the mug and add warm water. Let sit overnight, letting the eggshells absorb the stain.
• Whiten laundry: Just stick some eggshells into an old pantyhose leg in your laundry and your white clothes will lose their grayish tint.

Health/Beauty:

• Homemade calcium supplement:   Eggshells are rich in calcium with about 750 to 800 mg of calcium in each medium eggshell. Clean and sanitize the eggshells, let them dry, and then blend them to powder. Add it to smoothies, or make into capsules for extra calcium and other health benefits. They can also be added to your pets' food for a calcium boost.
• Coffee additive: Try adding an eggshell to the filter when making coffee. It will take some of the bitterness out of the coffee flavor. After use, add what's left in the coffee filter to your compost.
• Face exfoliant: I'll be honest, using these face care products, I have not had a need to make my own, so I haven't tried this personally, nor would I recommend, but I have seen several facial recipes on the interwebs. Do note that too much grit can make tiny microscopic tears on your skin as you use to wash. So, if you decide to use against my recommendation, please use with caution.

Do you have any fun uses for eggshells? I’d love to hear about them!