Fun Easter Ideas!

Egg Decorating Techniques

Spongeware - Moisten a small household sponge and squeeze out as much water as possible. Cut into 1" and 1½: pieces. Pour acrylic paint into a margarine tub or lid. Dip sponge into paint. Dab onto newspaper to remove most of the paint, then dab onto egg. Use one or two colors of paint, letting dry between each colors

Rubber Band Tie-Dye - Use narrow or medium-wide rubber bands. Wind a band around the egg, twist, change direction and wind around again. Continue until band is snug. For more wraps, repeat with a second or third band. Dye egg and let dry. Carefully remove rubber bands.

The Great Rub-off - Brush rubber cement onto an egg to make any simple designs you want - stripes, stars, circles, dabs, squiggles or curly Q's. Let cement dry. Dye the eggs and let dry. Use your thumb to gently rub off the rubber cement. 

The Tissue Trick - No dyes or paints needed for this technique! Simply dampen the white egg. Crumple up small pieces of bright-color tissue paper and dab on to the egg. Pigments in the tissue paper will come off, giving you a delicate, sponged look.

Stars of the Show - Dye egg first. Stick on gummed or adhesive back metallic or colored stars.

Victorian Pictorial - Dye egg first. Use tacky glue or rubber cement to glue on silhouettes of any kinds. Either cut your own from origami paper or purchase black, precut silhouettes from craft shops.

Polka-Dots - Dye egg, let dry then stick on dots. Little dots are the least expensive stickers.

Stickers Away - Star with a white egg or one dyed a light color. Apply press-on numbers, stars, dots, you name it, onto a dry egg. Dye egg to a dark shade, using a different color if it's the second dyebath. Let dry, then carefully remove the stickers.

Easy as ABC - Gently attach 1/4"or 1/2" press-on letter or number all over a white egg. (press-ons are sold at art supply stores.

Strip-Stencil - Dye egg first or use a white egg. Cut masking tape into narrow strips and use these to wrap egg in several directions. Paint the spaces with acrylic paint-use one or more colors. Let dry, then carefully peel off the tape. Your might also polka-dot the areas which were covered with tape, using a felt tip marker.

Pencil Stamping - Work on a white or pastel-dyed egg. Pour a little acrylic paint into a shallow pan or margarine tub lid. Dip the eraser end of a pencil into the paint. Press gently onto the egg, then lift straight up. Repeat to create flower clusters, stripes or other patterns. Try this process using the pencil point instead of the eraser for the finer lines and dots.

To Mark-it, to Mark-it - Work on dyed or undyed eggs. Draw squiggles, zigzags, polka dots and flowers with Sanford Uni-Posca Markers. (these are non-toxic, water base opaque markers available at MisterArt at discount prices - type in opaque markers in search box. Page down to Uni-Posca (the others are oil-base).

 Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

Fill plastic eggs with bead to make an Easter necklace. Check craft stores for bunny, egg and carrot beads, plus pretty pastel ones. Include a leather cord for stringing them.

Create "coupons" that kids can redeem for favorite meals, desserts or special privileges (such as a little extra TV time, staying up later, etc) and put one in each egg.

Hide the pieces of a toy in different plastic eggs. Try a Lego set, jacks, marbles, a jigsaw puzzle or the parts to a game such as Scrabble.

Place coins in eggs.

Stickers or removable tattoos are always a big hit.

Hide clues to find a larger prize

If your child collects things such as stamps, etc. place those in the eggs.

If your gifts are child exclusive (such as a Matchbox car for a boy or Barbie accessories for a girl) give them a special color egg to find. If they find colors not intended for them, they must be quiet about it, and they'll think they are in on a special secret.

• twelve 1" yellow pompoms

• twelve 1½" yellow pompoms

• orange felt for beaks

• 24 tiny black beads for eyes

• twelve 3/4"-diameter plastic Easter eggs that open

• Tacky glue

• Toothpicks

• Easter grass

• Empty 12-egg carton

Glue a small pompom to large pompom to form chick's head and body (separate some fibers to attach them more easily). Cut diamond shape from felt small enough for the little chicks' beaks. Fold in half. Using a toothpick, run glue along the inside of the fold and press together to hold beak shape. Put glue on outside of beak fold and insert between fibers on heat. Glue  beads on, above the beak for eyes. Place small amount of glue in bottom of Easter egg half, place chick on glue with head up (as if cheeping). Note: Some kids like to take the chicks out of the eggs, so the glue is optional here. Arrange chick-filled Easter eggs on plastic grass in an egg carton.

Tip: For more fun, paint and decorate the egg carton in pastel colors.