How you store your  eggs depends upon several factors, the most important of which is are they full or emptied?  Full eggs should be refrigerated unless you are going to use them soon, if you are in North America (due to concerns about salmonella). You do want to bring your eggs to room temperature before beginning writing on them.  Most books suggest letting them sit at room temperature, out of the fridge, for at least 3 hours prior to when you will need them; I prefer to leave them out at least over night. In the winter, when my studio is cold, I’ll even place them on a heating pad prior to beginning to wax them. 

Both sorts of eggs should be kept in an egg carton of some sort if possible, so they don’t roll around and bang into each other, causing cracks.

Paper eggs cartons are nice for two reasons:  1) they are the ecologically responsible choice, as they are recyclable and biodegradable, and 2) they will wick moisture away from eggs.  If the eggs are damp when you put them away, or haven’t drained fully after emptying, the paper carton will absorb the fluid and dry out; a styrofoam carton might form a puddle and sitting in a puddle can damage the egg’s cuticle. NEVER leave your eggs in standing water.  Wet, saturated shells will not absorb dye well, and your pysanky will look blotchy.

Styrofoam cartons are fine for storing emptied and well dried eggs, and for finished (and well dried) pysanky. I use them because I have many that have been given to me by friends, and reusing them is better than throwing them into a landfill.

Place your your eggs in a paper egg carton or leave them resting on a soft surface (e.g. towels) while you work.  Make sure your eggs can’t roll away!!!!!  I cut the lids off of egg cartons, and place them underneath the half that holds the eggs.  This makes them a bit sturdier.  And I keep this egg carton half in front of me while I work, and use it to carry eggs to and from the dye table.

Eggshells are fragile; be careful so this doesn’t happen to you:

The ones that rolled away!!!!

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