Coloring and decorating eggs is best known as a very popular family activity around Easter time, but is actually something that would enhance any event where hard boiled eggs might be served. How about a 4th of July picnic or Labor Day cookout, packing a brown bag lunch for school or work, or even to make a birthday breakfast something special?
Just before Easter in 2015, Scott Houdashell of Amarillo, Texas, was watching his nieces and nephews color eggs and was struck by what a mess was being created from all the dyes, glitter and other decorations they were using. He decided there must be a less messy but still fun way to color Easter eggs. His first prototype was created using an electric screwdriver, a hot glue gun and a spoon! It worked, but didn’t really seem like much fun and it wasn’t very user friendly, especially for children.
Scott spent the rest of the year creating various prototypes and by the spring of 2016 had a satisfactory working model. The colorful, egg-shaped (naturally!) container holds a hard-boiled egg in place while spinning it around. Non-toxic colored markers are held to the egg and as it rotates colorful designs are created. Scott’s family and friends tested the device when decorating their Easter eggs that year. It was a big hit!
Encouraged by the response, Scott sought out tooling and production experts. He set up a Facebook page for the EggMazing Egg Decorator on May 4, 2016, and quickly began gathering attention and positive comments. On November 16, 2016, he began a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $5,000 to initiate production of the EggMazing Egg Decorator. On November, 28, 2016, Kickstarter named The EggMazing a “Project We Love.” When the campaign ended, it had exceeded the goal with $7,736 raised by 147 backers.
Necessary details for manufacture and packaging were finalized during November of 2016, and on December 5, 2016 Scott and his unique invention were featured on KAMR television program, Studio 4 with Andy Justus. By March 1, 2017 the first 10,000 units had been made.
Scott appeared at the Make a Wish Car Show on March 4, 2017, and The Peddler Show on March 10, 2017, both events held at the Amarillo Civic Center. The EggMazing Egg Decorator was featured on Good Morning Texas on WFAA Channel 8 from Dallas, on March 27, 2017. Demand grew rapidly and their initial inventory sold out within a month.
A companion product, The Treemendous Ornament Decorator (tree-shaped, naturally!), which operates in the same way, is also available. The colored markers are non-toxic, and the patent-pending decorators use four AA batteries.
The Eggmazing Egg Decorator is now part of Hey Buddy Hey Pal Investments, LLC
