I keep a bowl on the kitchen counter to toss compost materials into, and every day it is emptied into a bin where it begins composting. After a few weeks I empty that bin onto my regular compost pile, and the materials are so broken down that my dogs leave them alone. But if I don't crush the shells (just use your hand) before tossing them into the bowl, I can go back to that compost months later and find the same intact shells.

If you're very patient, you can blow the egg for use in various art projects. I usually use a sharp kitchen knife and quickly rotate the egg in one hand while exerting gentle pressure with the knife point to work open a small hole in the end of the egg. It won't drip because there isn't a way for air to get in and let the contents out. Reverse the egg and do the same knife point/twirling move until you have a second small opening (about the size of the head of a pin on both ends. Any smaller than that and you'll blow your brains out before you manage to blow the egg out of the shell).

You can't get much out of the egg if the yolk is intact, so I always have a paper clip nearby, that I straightened out enough to have a length of stiff wire (cleaned after each use!) that I can insert into one end of the egg and scramble the contents, breaking the yoke, and releasing the surface tension on various parts of the white and yolk that make it difficult to blow the contents out otherwise.

If you have fussy egg eaters in the house, this is a procedure best done before they come into the kitchen. They like the eggs, they love having the shells to dye and decorate, but they don't like watching the egg blowing part. :)

Egg decorating (painting, etching, and cutting) are delicate and prized art forms in some parts of the world. Ukrainian and Russian gift shops and art locations will often have them for sale.

http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Images/Travel_Article_Library/Ukrainian-Eggs/Eggs-People-Dancing.jpg

The egg shells have a lot of uses.To start with I use them in my garden.They are wonderful compost.Adding the crushed shell to the compost and spreading them helps in the growth of the vegetable and flowering plants. Apart from this my daughter uses them for her craft works,As they have a glassy texture gives a tiled effect for her art works. My little one makes her own kiddy garden with it. She carefully halves the egg shell fills it with mud and puts seeds like mustard etc....Places them in trays .In a few days you can see lush green seedlings popping out of them. To be more innovative she sticks these to the heads of dolls .Enjoys painting on them They look great. At times if our kitchen drains are stuck then my grandmother makes the little finely crushed egg shells ,sit in them.As the water seeps it helps clean up the drain.