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I usually have lofty (unreasonable!) plans for springtime crafts my daughter Poet (six and a half) and I can create together. Yet every year with the rush of each new season comes lots to do, and often our craft time is compressed. So this spring I wanted to be sure to make time for a fun and easy project.
This craft is pretty forgiving, and its organic feel and slightly messy quality is part of its charm. It is simple and fun for kids (or adults) to make together. Younger children can craft the stamped paper, while an adult wraps the egg, and slighter older children can create the project from start to finish.
We made these eggs with Styrofoam and paper-mache egg forms, so we can bring them out to decorate every year going forward. The color palette possibilities are endless: You can craft them in subtle nature-inspired shades or in a wild palette like Poet and I did. We used erasers to stamp our patterns, but of course you can use any type of rubber stamp or just paint freely on the paper.
Poke a little hole in the top of the egg with an awl or toothpick, insert some twine with glue, and the eggs can be hung on some spring branches for a pretty, graphic arrangement. We nestled ours in colorful paper Easter grass and displayed them in footed bowls on our dining table.
Crepe Collage Eggs How-To:
Materials:
– Florist crepe paper (160gm) from Castle in the Air – Foam eggs, from Pepperlonely or Amazon – Assorted craft paints—like Martha Stewart Crafts, Americana, or Folk Art—from Michaels – Assorted erasers – Masking tape – Paper painter’s palette, or wax paper taped down – Sponge brushes – Mod Podge Matte sealer glue and finish – German paper Easter grass, Blumchen.com – Drying rack, pin board, or styrofoam and straight pins.
Steps:
1. Cut 4” wide by 5” long pieces of crepe paper, with the grain (the wrinkles in the crepe paper) running with the 4” side.
2. Stretch the pieces with both hands, keeping your grasp even, so that the paper stretches as evenly as possible, and stays flat.
3. Tape down the edges or corners with masking tape to a table covered in paper or a work mat.
4. Pour some paint on the palette, and spread it out slightly with a sponge brush. You can also use your eraser to spread it out. Not too thin, not too thick. You can test a little on a scrap piece to see how much paint you need for stamping.
5. Use the erasers to make patterns on the crepe paper by stamping the eraser into paint, then onto the paper, and set aside to dry.
6. When dry, cut the pieces into strips about 3/4” to 1″ wide for a 2 3/4” styrofoam egg, thinner for smaller eggs, and thicker for larger eggs. make sure the grain is running along the short side of the strip. Give the strips another stretch.
7. Position a strip at the base of your egg, and wrap it all the way around to overlap by 1/4” or so. This is your measurement for all the strips. Cut four strips.
8. Using a sponge brush, coat your egg with a thin layer of Mod Podge. Lay the end of a strip at the bottom of your egg, and wrap it around to meet the other side. Spread Mod Podge on the area of the paper that overlaps to secure it. Then, spread a layer of Mod Podge over the piece of paper to cover it completely, using the brush to push the edges down flat. Repeat this technique for all of the strips, adding them opposite of each other each time, so the egg is covered. Use your fingers to press down and smooth out any wrinkles. Set aside to dry on a drying rack, pin board, or pins stuck into styrofoam.
9. Once dry, use the back of a spoon to burnish down any edges that are not smooth. Note: To make hanging eggs, use an awl or toothpick to poke a hole in the top and insert a little loop of twine with a strong craft glue like Aleene’s Tacky glue, and set aside to dry.
Rebecca Thuss is one half of the husband and wife duo behind creative firm Thuss + Farrell.