How do you bake eggs?

[starless]

...or other roundish projects that are completely covered in clay? It's usually recommended that you bake them on a layer of polyfill to prevent flat spots, but I have problems with it leaving marks in the clay, and since I do filigree on the eggs I can't sand them much.

I was thinking that you could use a heat gun to partially cure the clay on one side, then lay that side on the polyfill, but I don't have a heat gun to experiment with. A skewer could work, but most of my egg shells only have a hole in one end, and I don't want to block my ventilation hole!

Any other suggestions?

[Former_Member]

I've covered the bottom half of an egg with clay then baked it inverted on a 1" long length of paper towel tube on a glass pan for maybe 5 minutes, then finished the clay and placed back on the tube piece for baking, raw side up.

Also, silicone candy molds are inexpensive and can be used in the oven up to 500 degrees as long as they aren't a silicone/plastic mix, maybe you could find a mold in the right size to hold your egg(s) upright.

Now I want to decorate an egg! Your work looks great!

Diana

[starless]

Interesting! I think I'll give that a shot.

With Easter coming up soon, it's a great time to do some eggs!

[Former_Member]

Easiest way to prevent flat spots is simply place it on paper. Right out of the printer, cheapo paper. Sometimes I fold it into a paper fan to make rows of beads. Or just set your egg on it. No shinny spots.

[Former_Member]

Another option: an oven-proof dish filled with a thick layer of corn starch. You can settle the egg into the starch, and it will support it well without leaving marks. It will wash off once the clay is baked.

[starless]

Baking on paper still leaves flat spots on my eggs- they're just not as shiny. The corn starch sounds worth trying.

[KaelMijoy]

For my poinsettia ornaments, I shredded some white felt into skinny strips with scissors and then made a sort of nest shape on my baking pan. Then I covered the "nest" with a white facial tissue and baked on that. It worked pretty well. (I would try the cornstarch but I'm worried about little ones dumping it all over.)

[starless]

Thanks, inedible- I tried the cornstarch with a couple of small eggs, and it worked perfectly! I just poured about 1/2 inch of cornstarch in a small condiment bowl, then gently nestled the end of the egg into it just far enough to hold it upright. After baking, it came right off with water and a toothbrush and left no marks that I could see. It seems like the cornstarch can be reused too, which is nice. I'll update again once I try it with large eggs, but I'm sure it will work well with them too- or better than crumpled tissues or polyfill, at least. :)

[Former_Member]

Yay! I'm so glad that cornstarch trick worked for you starless. Thanks for coming back with an update. :)

[Former_Member]

Good tip, inediblejewelry, I'll have to try that now too! :)

[starless]

Thank you guys so much for all the ideas- it's always really neat to hear about the variety of creative solutions people have come up with for the same problem. :)

[Former_Member]

I use baking soda the same way others are recommending corn starch, and have had very good results.

[starless]

Okay, sounds like any bakeable fine powder will do the trick then!