“Just put your lips together and blow.” Enjoy decorated eggs year after year by hollowing out the shell.

Easter is right around the corner, and that means several things: candy-induced stomach aches, awkward family gatherings, and a plethora of Easter eggs. While *The Daily Iowan* can’t do much about the first two, we can certainly help in making sure your efforts to decorate the perfect egg last longer than a week or two. By hollowing out the shell of your egg (also called “blowing out”), you can relive Easter all year long — or at least until your dumb roommate accidentally crushes the fragile shell — without fear of decay.

What you’ll need:

A raw egg

1. Wash and dry a raw egg.

2. Make a small hole at the end of the egg with a long needle. To avoid breaking the shell, twist the needle as you gently push it in (that’s what she said).

3. Using the same technique, make a slightly larger hole at the other end of the egg.

4. Push the needle into the center of the egg. Move it around to break up the yolk.

5. Hold the egg over a bowl with the end that has the small hole facing down.

6. Place your lips over the large hole and blow firmly until all the egg comes out of the hole at the small end.

7. Rinse out the egg to remove any remaining insides by running a thin stream of water into the larger hole.

8. Blow out the water the same way you blew out the egg.

9. To dry the eggshell, prop it up in a dish drainer with the large-hole end facing down.

10. Dye and decorate your egg, being particularly careful to mind the über-delicate shell.