Make a Peek-a-boo Easter Egg

Tools and Materials:

Scissors

Craft knife (for adult use)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks (for adult use, optional tools)

Plastic or disposable bowls for mixing paste and white glue

Old paintbrush or disposable cotton swabs

Newspaper cut into 1" strips of various lengths

White paper towels cut into small pieces

Tissue paper in spring colors cut into small pieces (1"-3" or so)

Flour

Water

White glue

Easter grass

Miniature Easter decorations

Balloon that inflates to an egg shape

Clear acrylic finish (optional)

Optional Decorations:

Paint for the inside of the egg

Bits of lace, silk flowers

Ribbon or yarn

Beads, or other random craft decorations

Directions:

Inflate an egg-shaped balloon and tie it securely.

Mix 1/2 cup of flour with about 2/3 cup of water together to form a paste. It should be about the consistency of a milkshake, but it's not good to drink!

Tear or cut the newspaper into strips. Dip strips of newspaper in the flour and water paste and lightly run each strip between your fingers to squeegee off the excess paste. Then place strips on the balloon to cover it all the way around. Leave openings around the balloon tie, on the opposite end and on the top of the balloon. Repeat until you have three layers of paper maché on the balloon. For a fourth layer, use white paper towel strips instead of newspaper. Set the balloon aside and let it dry. It might take several days, depending on the humidity in the area where you are working on the project.

When the paper maché egg is dry, use the tip of the craft knife or the scissors to break the balloon inside the egg. Use the knife or scissors to cut the egg in half and separate the top from the bottom. You can also cut the circular openings so that they are smooth. You have an option of painting the inside of the egg, especially if it is part of the scene you will be placing inside. Just painting it white will make it look better that than appearance of the newspaper pieces. It will also make it look brighter.

Fill the bottom with a layer of Easter grass and place Easter decorations in the grass. This is the scene that you will be able to view through the peep holes on either end. The hole at the top will let light into the egg so the scene is visible.  Use white glue to put the top and bottom pieces back together again.

In a plastic or other disposable container mix white glue with a little bit of water to thin it out (a mixture of about 2/3 glue to 1/3 water or half glue and half water should work well). Dip an old paintbrush or disposable cotton swab into the white glue mixture and use it to "paint" glue over pieces of colored tissue paper placed all over the outside of the egg. Two layers of overlapping pieces give it a nice appearance. Let it dry. Spray it with a clear acrylic finish to make it look shiny.

After the egg is dry, decorate around the openings with lace, ribbon, silk flowers or small Easter decorations. These can be attached with white glue or by using a hot glue gun. (Adults, please. These glue guns are notorious for burning fingers.)

Use:

Your lovely egg can be placed on the table as a centerpiece or displayed anywhere as an Easter decoration.

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