An Egg Pocket
Cut out two large paper eggs. Cut one in half . Staple the half to the front of the egg….have a pocket. Fill it with paper flowers, bunnies, chicks etc….
Egg Tree
The seasonal tree lends itself to Easter. Get a branch with no leaves from outside, and “plant” it in a pot of plaster. Let set. Have children bring in eggs. At home, poke hole in both ends and blow the insides out. These can be used for scrambled eggs, baking etc.. Then string fine wire through. Children can paint eggs with pastel colored tempera paints. Be sure to put name on eggs, using masking tape. Hang eggs onto tree branches. Let the children take their egg home when it’s time.
Egg Carton Place Card (makes a cute cubby marker)
Cut two cups from a cardboard egg carton for each place card. Glue the two cups together (bottom to bottom). Cut a chick from construction paper. Add features with paper and glue the chick inside the cup. Print a name on a piece of paper and glue it to the front of the cup – put a few jelly beans inside if you want.
Easter Egg Collage 1
Give each child a large egg shape cut from construction paper. Have the children decorate with anything/everything (glitter, sequins, scrap fabric, foil, buttons, crayons, markers).
Egg Shell Collage 2
Make a collage from crushed egg shells. Egg shells may be colored or white. Brush diluted glue into an outline shape and then place egg shells into the shape. The children can create their own designs or you may provide them with the shape of a rabbit, chick or egg to fill in with the egg shells.
Basket of Eggs
Trace around 2 hands on green paper – cut them out. Cut out a large basket shape from brown paper and four eggs on colored paper – glue the hands(fingers up) as grass behind the eggs and basket on blue paper.
Egg Creatures
Supplies: Eggs (not hard-boiled)
Sharp Nail
Glue
Misc. Supplies
Pierce each end of egg with sharp nail. Blow firmly into large end, over dish to catch egg liquid (which you can use for a recipe). Let shells dry. Decorate to resemble rabbits, chicks, or cartoon characters using markers, paint, glued on construction paper, etc. To make stand upright: Cut a strip of sturdy paper 1/2 inch by 4-6 ins. Glue into circle, sit egg in it. This paper stand could also be incorporated into design as a collar.
Giant Easter Eggs
Supplies:
Balloon
Liquid Starch or Watered Down Glue Large
Paintbrushes
Crochet Thread
Blow up a balloon and tie a 2 ft. piece of thread to the bottom of it. Cover the entire balloon with starch or watered down glue, using a large paint brush. Wrap crochet thread around the balloon in one direction, leaving small gaps about 1/2 inch wide so the balloon isn’t completely covered. Wrapping doesn’t have to be perfect.
Apply another light layer of starch or glue on top of the thread and wrap with another layer of crochet thread in another direction. Repeat one or more times until the balloon is covered with thread. Hang the balloon from the bottom thread to dry for about 24 hours. When fully dry, pop the balloon and gently pull it out of the thread. Hang the giant egg from the ceiling or place it in a giant easter basket.
Variations: Use multicolored thread or yarn. You can flatten the end of the egg by pressing on it gently so it will stand on end. Leave an intentional opening to set figurines and eggs/candy in. They are very pretty this way. Practical tips: Work quickly before the glue/starch dries or add more when necessary. Handle the egg with care after it dries, as it may cave in if you squish it.
Filter Paper Eggs
Supplies:
Coffee Filters
Food Coloring
Eye Droppers or Straws
Precut egg shapes out of coffee filters. Mix water and food coloring in a baby food jar. (Make several different colors) Let the children use eyedroppers or straws to drip colors on the filter shape. The colors will run together and make beautiful eggs.
Styrofoam Egg
Supplies:
Styrofoam Eggs
Paint Push
Pins
Misc. Craft Items
We took big styrofoam eggs and painted them. Then we used little jems from the craft store, like the kind for making jewelry and crafts. We used the flower shaped ones. Get a bunch of pins, the kind with the ball. When inserted through the plastic things, they look like little flowers. Cover the egg in these.
Egg Carton Cup
1. Cut 1 section from cardboard egg carton. Scallop the edge with scissors.
2. For a base, draw and cut out the green leafy part of a flower from construction paper. Then cut a flower with long petals. Glue the leaf section and flower together.
3. Glue the egg-carton section to the middle of the base. Put suckers in the cup.
Crepe Paper Eggs
Cut out several egg shapes from different colors of crepe paper. On a large piece of manila paper, pin eggs randomly around paper. Have children use a paintbrush to paint over eggs with water. Allow to dry. Remove pins and lift crepe paper. Like magic the color from the crepe paper will have appeared on the manila paper.
Stained Glass Easter Egg
Cut an egg shape out of construction paper. Set the egg shape aside, you will be using the outline that you cut out. Put a sheet of clear contact paper over this outline. Flip it over and then have children glue tissue paper (with watered down glue) to the plastic until the “egg hole” is covered. When it is dry hang it in the window as a stained glass egg!
Decorating Easter Eggs
At Easter time we color eggs,
Shades of yellow, red and blue.
We make them pretty as can be,
We’ll make some for me and some for you.
Dying Easter Eggs–the Natural way!
This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature’s very own dyes? It’s possible to come up with a great number of colors using natural ingredients that can easily be found in almost any kitchen.
Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries
Orange: Yellow onion skins
Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin
Yellow: Ground turmeric
Pale green: Spinach leaves
Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels
Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves
Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee
To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here’s what to do:
1. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered.
2. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar.
3. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be.
(The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.)
4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl.
If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.
Onion Skin Eggs
One of my favorite egg dyes is with onion skins! Gather lots of onion skins; the dry outer layers. (try to get a good variety of colors–I like plain brown best; red onion also makes a good color) Gently wrap them around *raw* eggs and hold them in place with rubber bands. Hard boil the eggs like usual. Unwrap them and WOW! Beautiful colors and designs! You may polish with vegetable oil for a nice gloss. This is a natural dye and the eggs are still quite edible! Happy eggs-ploration!!
Wax Eggs
It’s fun to write something on the egg with a light colored crayon – white is the most fun. The dye doesn’t stick to the wax crayoned letters and they appear white (or brown if it’s a brown egg) after the egg is dyed.
Rubber Band Wraps
Materials:
Egg dye:(For an extra bright color use food coloring paste, available at party supply shops. Dissolve a dab of paste or 6 drops of regular liquid food coloring in a cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup of vinegar)
Rubber bands, (various length widths long enough go around the egg several times)
Wrap rubber bands around the egg, covering it completely. When you dip the covered egg, the dye will seep under the bands in some areas and be blocked out in other areas. Remove from the dye when the color is bright enough. Blot dry with paper towels and remove the rubber bands. If you wish, repeat with a new color. (If the rubber bands pop off the egg, try using thicker ones.
Marbleized eggs
Materials: Egg dye, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Lightly stir the oil into a bowl of egg dye. Immediately dip the egg into the liquid. Or stand the egg in a small cup and slowly spoon the oil-water mixture over it. When the egg dries, repeat the steps with another color for an interesting color combining effect. TIP: For cleanup, wash all dipping containers in hot soapy water and rinse with vinegar to get rid of oil.
Fingerpaint eggs
Materials: Paper plates, tempera paint
Put a few colors of paint on the paper plate. Hold the egg on the ends with your thumb and finger so you can rotate it while you’re stamping. Dip your finger in the paint, dab off the excess on a paper towel, then gently press your finger onto the egg.
Crepe Paper Eggs
Supplies:
Boiled Eggs
Tissue Paper or Crepe Paper
Wet the egg and place pieces of colored tissue paper on it. Set it aside to dry. When the egg dries the tissue paper falls off and the colors stay behind.
Polka Dot Eggs
1. Dip a boiled egg in yellow dye.
2. When dry glue on hole punched dots. (great for fine motor!)
