With Easter around the corner, there are inevitably plenty of eggs around the house. Beyond just dying eggs this year, use cracked empty shells for an eco-friendly project that will get your little gardeners involved. As you watch your seeds sprout indoors, you will be ready for spring and warm weather in no time.

Supplies
• Egg carton (Styrofoam preferred)
• Dozen eggs
• Potting soil
• Seeds (fast-sprouting seeds like lettuce, herbs
or wildflowers)
• Water

 Instructions
1. Get out your dozen eggs and gently crack open the eggshells so you have a decent size portion of the shell remaining to use as a planter.  Thoroughly rinse the shells and place them on a paper towel to dry.

2. Use a Styrofoam egg carton to help keep the water contained when you start watering the plants.  It’s helpful to cut off the lid and place it underneath the container as an extra water catcher.  Place the dried shells back in the carton.

3. Spoon soil into the bottom half of the eggshells.

4. Plant the seeds according to package instructions and top each eggshell off with a small amount of soil above the seeds.  For best results, select fast sprouting seeds that will grow quickly.

5. Place the planted carton on a sunny windowsill and water regularly. Watch for the seeds to sprout within days to a week.

6. Once the plants have grown two to three inches in their shells, they are ready to be transplanted to the outdoor garden.  You can either remove the plant from the eggshells or crack the shells and plant them directly into the ground.

Megan Murray Elsener is a Chicago mother of three.