Easter Crafts for Children
As Easter approaches, it is time to think about Easter crafts. There are so many to choose from that you may have trouble picking out the ones you want to do. You may want to start early so you can make all of them!
Easter eggs are a favorite craft during the holiday. You can make simple ones with the little vinegar and dye kits from the store or you can be more creative and create a work of art. Here are a few unique ideas you can try.
Gather various colors of tissue paper, a spray bottle of water and an empty egg carton. Cut up pieces of different colored tissue paper (1" x 1"). Spray your egg with water. Cover the egg by overlapping the different colors of tissue paper. Spray it again, making sure all the paper is wet. Set it in the egg carton to dry. When the paper has dried, it will fall off at leave its beautiful colors behind.
Use a crayon to draw a picture on the egg. Dip the egg into regular dye. The crayon will resist the color and your picture will look beautiful.
Gather flat-sided jewels, silver or gold glitter glue, and an empty egg carton. Glue the jewels to your boiled egg. Trace around the jewel with the metallic glitter glue. Place it in the egg carton to allow it to dry. It is best to do one hemisphere of the egg at a time.
Wrap your boiled eggs with rubber bands. Dip it in dye. After the dye has dried, Remove the rubber bands and enjoy your beautiful tie-died look.
Leaf-printed eggs are unique and fun. Gather leaves that will lay flat, such as ferns. Secure it on the boiled egg by holding it in place with a piece of pantyhose. Tighten in and make sure everything is secure. Dip the egg into regular dye. When the egg has dried, remove the pantyhose and leaf. The leaf print will remain.
Easter crafts are not limited to Easter eggs. Here are some other ideas to try:
Cross - Glue one small and one large craft stick together to form a cross. Cover it with glue. Wrap the sticks with the colored yarn of your choice. Variegated yarn creates an interesting pattern. Cut the yarn and glue the last piece to the back of the cross.
Easter animals - Clean out a baby food jar and remove the label. Pack the jar with yellow pompoms for a chick and pink pompoms for a bunny (Or cover the inside with a yellow or pink foam rectangle.) Put the lid on the jar. Paint the lid to match the filling. When the paint is dry, turn the jar upside down. Glue on medium-sized wiggly eyes. If you are making a chick, glue on a little orange felt beak, centered a little lower than the eyes. Glue yellow feathers on the side. If the bunny is more your style, make a nose and mouth area with one small pink pompom and two slightly larger white pompoms. Use lacing or markers to make the whiskers. Make two ears out of white foam and color the inside pink. Glue them to the bottom of the jar (not the lid).
Paperweight - Find a flat, smooth stone about three inches long. Clean it off and paint it white. Allow the base coat to dry. Paint your paperweight rock to look like a rabbit or an Easter egg.
Go to your local craft store or dollar store and buy foam door hangers. Use Easter or Christian foam shapes to decorate the door hanger. If you have older children, use puffy paint and let them create their own Easter picture on the door hanger. An attractive hanger can be made using the two decorations together.
Buy cheap white pillar candles. You will also need a candle to melt. Cut Easter designs like crosses, chickens, rabbits and eggs out of tissue paper. Using a disposable paintbrush, put the tissue on the pillar candle and brush melted wax over it. When the wax dries, it will be semi-transparent. Put the candles on your Easter table at dinner-time.
Paper plate empty tomb - Using one paper plate, cut it in half. Staple the curved edges together. Cut a semi-circle from the center bottom of the front half. Decorate the plate with tissue flowers. On the inside of the back paper, write "He is Risen." Your empty tomb should stand alone.
Wall hanging - Cut a 12" x 18" from burlap. Fold it over one inch and sew it, leaving the ends open. Cut out felt pictures that could be used to depict an Easter scene. Glue or sew them onto the burlap to create your scene. Insert dowels in the top and bottom of the burlap. Add string to the ends of the top dowel. Hang it on your wall.
Chair cover - Adjust a white pillow case to fit over the back of your child's chair. Then allow your child to decorate the back of the case. Cut out two long ears and pink inner ears. Cut out two round pink circles for cheeks and a black circle for a nose. Cut two large oval eyes with two small white pupils. You will need one pink pompom for a nose and a long piece of black yarn for the mouth. Use craft glue to form a rabbit face. Let it dry and slip it over your chair. The face should be on the back of the chair.
Cards - Get out the card stock or construction paper. Give the children scissors, glue, pencils, markers and tissue paper. Let them use their own imaginations and make Easter cards to pass out on Easter day. Directed crafts are great, but so is so good old-fashioned childhood ingenuity.
Check over the list and make plans. Children enjoy holiday crafts almost as much as the adult in charge!
