Hard boiled eggs
Basic egg dye in desired shades
undiluted liquid food coloring or intense mixture of paste color with just enough water to turn it liquid
small brush, such as a clean new toothbrush
a wooden skewer

You can spatter over plain white eggs or put a base color on them first.

Protect your work area, spattering can make a big mess-- but it is lots of fun! A cardboard box, placed on its side, is a good spatter protector. Simply place the egg in the box and try to contain most of the spatters in the box.

When you're ready to spatter, pick up your brush and dip it in the liquid color, hold it close to the egg and starting at the end of the brush closest to the egg, draw the wooden skewer across the brush, towards yourself.  As the skewer passes over the bristles, this will cause the color to spatter onto the egg. Don't draw the skewer away from yourself as you'll end up spattering yourself.

Repeat with as many colors as you desire, turning the egg to spatter all sides. We found that the top of any empty egg carton was a great holder for the egg while it was being spattered, as well as for drying.

Dinosaur Eggs

Hard boiled eggs
6" square of cheesecloth for each egg
rubber bands or twist ties
small paint brushes or cotton swabs
basic egg dyes in desired shades

Wrap a piece of cheesecloth tightly around a dry egg, bundling the edges together and fastening them at the top with a rubber band or twist ties. Dip your paint brush or cotton swab and dip it into the egg dye, then dab this onto the cloth covered eggs. Repeat, painting the eggs with various shades in various places, use your imagination. Overlap some colors for special effects, or keep it monochrome. When you're finished painting, set the egg aside to dry.

The more patient you are and the more the egg dries, the better. When you unwrap the egg, you'll be left with a design that resembles armadillo skin. You can use this technique over plain white eggs, over a base coat of color or even over marble colored eggs.

Another technique, which will give a subtle textured effect to a solid colored egg is to wrap the egg in cheesecloth, as per the instructions above, then dip the whole thing in the cup of egg dye. Let it sit until done to desired shade. Let dry (it doesn't have to be bone dry, but the drier the better) before carefully removing cheesecloth.

Abstract Eggs

Hard-Boiled Eggs
Rubber Cement
Basic Egg Dyes in Desired Colors

These eggs are really simple to make. The basic principle is, you drizzle rubber cement over the egg, let it dry, then color the egg. Naturally, the egg dye won't stick to the parts that are painted with the glue. After the egg is colored to the desired shade, let it dry completely, then carefully peel off the rubber cement.

You can paint the rubber cement on plain white eggs, like we did with the blue and white or green and white eggs above. Another option is to dye the egg with a base color, then apply the rubber cement and re-dip in a contrasting color. The most important tip is to dry the eggs completely between colors and or coats of rubber cement.

Mother's and Father's Day Ideas

• Paint or draw her a picture of something she would like - flowers, the family, her favorite animal, a self-portrait.
• Make her some artificial flowers using straws, paper, card, tissue paper, etc. Paint them and spray with a little bit of perfume.
• Decorate a glass bottle or jar with ribbons and stickers. Fill with sweets or chocolates. Alternatively decorate a nice chest or box.
• Make her a homemade herb box or pot. Decorate with paints and/or stickers. Fill with herbs and spices.
• Paint and decorate various stones with faces, shapes and colors to make homemade paperweights.
• Decorate the fridge with pictures and images from old magazines. Leave her a nice message wishing her a happy Mother's Day in the picture.
• Plant her a bulb or pot her a plant. You could decorate the pot yourself. Pick some wild flowers and arrange them on the kitchen table in a vase.
• Make and decorate her a photo frame, and put a photo of yourself or the family in it.

• Paper doily or other paper cut in a 9" circle
• Stapler or glue
• Pipe Cleaner
• Hole Punch
• Scissors
• Small fresh cut flowers with stems about 4" long
• Paper towel
• A piece or aluminum foil or plastic wrap

2. Overlap the cut edges and twist the paper so that a cone is formed. Staple or glue the edge to hold the cone shape.

3. Punch holes on opposite sides of the top of the cone.

4. Form hooks on both ends of the pipe cleaner and put the ends through the punched holes to form a handle. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner around so that they stay in the holes.

5. Dampen the paper towel and squeeze out most of the extra water. Wrap the ends of the flower stems with the paper towel, then wrap with the aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

6. Slide the wrapped flowers into the cone

• Paper lunch bags
• Scissors
• Decorations of choice

Take a brown or white lunch bag cut a "v" out of the top with construction paper cut out ears and glue on to the top of bag make whiskers and draw a face or make one and put a handle at the top and instead of children carrying a big Easter basket they can carry around their homemade bag.

• Wooden strawberry baskets (1 quart size)
• Pastel poster paints in many different Easter Colors
• Paint brushes 1 for each child
• LOTS of rinse water!!!!!!!
• Small kitchen sized garbage bags
• Easter grass in many colors

The garbage bags make great paint smocks when you’re in a pinch. Simply cut a slit in the top large enough for the child's head, measure where their arms would be and cut two slits for the armholes and  you have instant paint smocks!!

Give each child a basket, and a paintbrush. Scatter the paint colors and the rinse water cups around the table to encourage sharing and conversation.

Give each child some Easter grass to line the baskets. If you wish you might give each child a few Easter Eggs for their baskets. BE SURE TO CHECK FOR ALLERGIES!!!!

***NOTE** Extension***
Have some sponge and/or potato stamps on hand for the children to try. These make an interesting design on the baskets and the children have a lot of fun trying this.

• Old Easter cards
• Easter pictures from magazines
• Your children’s drawings
• Light weight cardboard or heavy construction paper
• Glue
• Contact paper

Gather up Easter cards from past years, pictures from magazines or your children's favorite drawings. Glue onto light cardboard or construction paper in decorative fashion the size of a placemat.

Cover this collage with clear contact paper to seal the placemat. Be sure to have your child date and sign it.

These make great gifts for grandparents.  

• 1 large Easter basket 
• 1 lb wheat seed
• 1 lb vermiculite
• Plastic wrap or clear plastic bag

 Grow a miniature meadow in an Easter basket. A week before Easter line a large Easter basket with plastic wrap and fill with vermiculite (about 2-inches deep). Sprinkle wheat seed on top of the vermiculite. Put the basket in the sink and add water until the seedbed is damp. You shouldn't have to water it again before Easter.

Set the basket in a pan and place in filtered sunlight. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag to keep moist. Remove the plastic after two days. The wheat should begin to sprout during the next few days. By Easter morning you would have real Easter grass to hide your eggs in.

Woven Baskets

• Pastel colored construction paper two colors
• Scissors
• Glue or stapler

Using one piece of paper cut horizontal straight lines about one inch in from side to side across paper, about 1/2 inch a part from each other. The paper should be covered from top to bottom with these slits.

Next take the other color of paper and cut ½ inch strips. Weave these strips in and out of the slits in the first paper.

When completed with all the strips glue the ends of the strips to the first paper to hold in place. Next fold up the sides to make a basket shape. Staple or glue in place. With a contrasting color make a handle on your basket and staple or glue.

Easter Basket

You'll need:

• Milk or juice carton (pint size)
• Cotton balls
• Pink yarn
• Buttons, gumdrops or other candy to make eyes and nose

Close the top of the empty carton. Position the carton on its side with the top closed edge vertical. Then on the side that is facing up, cut along the two long edges and the bottom edge. Hold flap up slightly and cut it to form two rabbit ears pointing away from the pointed end of carton.

Cover the entire outer part of the carton with cotton balls including the ears. Use a small piece of yarn to make outline of pink for the inner ear. Use buttons or whatever you chose to make eyes and nose on the pointed end of the carton. Place extra cotton balls for tail. Fill carton with Easter grass and candy.

Bunny Mask

• Paper plate
• Pink construction paper
• Pink and/or white pipe cleaners
• Yarn

Using the paper plate cut out eyes and nose in the plate. Cut out bunny ears from pink paper and glue to the plate. Use pipe cleaners to make whiskers, attach to plate by poking through and knotting at back, or glue on. Use yarn to tie to either side of plate to tie on your little one's head.

Chicks in a Basket

• Egg carton
• Cotton balls
• Yellow food dye
• Shredded paper (optional)
• Bits of orange paper
• Marker

Dip one large cotton ball in yellow dye diluted with water. Let dry. Cut egg carton so you have one section. Place a bit of shredded paper (color optional) in bottom of section. When yellow cotton ball is dry, draw eyes on top to make eyes. Cut out very small triangle of orange paper and glue on yellow cotton ball to make chick’s beak. Sit chick in carton section to make the chick in the basket.

Great Tip!! The best way to dye cotton balls is to put them in a Zip lock bag with dry tempera paint. Place the cotton balls in the Zip-lock bag with a few spoons of dry tempera paint. Shake the bag to coat the cotton balls. Remove the cotton balls from the zip lock bag and shake off the excess paint. This works great. 
 
Another idea: For the cotton ball to be dyed yellow, wipe off some powdered yellow pastels/chalks with the cotton ball. See if this could work.

Another Tip: The people who are having trouble getting the dye to dry on their cotton balls are using synthetic (not really cotton) cotton balls. The real cotton, usually called cotton bolls (with an o) will dry perfectly. They should say 100% cotton on the bag.

Another Tip: If you use yellow high lighters (preferably washable markers) they work a lot easier than having the children use paint or dye, because the marker dries immediately!
 
ANOTHER TIP: Several people have let it be known that cotton balls now come in pastel colors and are much easier to use then making your own colored balls!!

Paper Plate Bunny

• Large paper plate
• Small paper plate
• Glue
• Pink construction paper
• Cotton ball
• Crayons or markers

Using paper plates, glue small one to top of large one to form head and body. Cut out bunny ears from pink paper. Glue or staple to head. Draw eyes and nose on face of plate with crayons or markers. Glue a cotton ball on the back for a tail.

Paper Maché Eggs

• Paper maché paste
• Balloon
• Tape
• 1-inch pieces newspaper, newsprint or paper toweling
• Pie tin
• Paint brushes
• Colored tissue paper (optional)
• Shellac

Paper Maché Recipe

• 1 cup water
• Mix in 1/4 cup flour until thin and runny

Stir this mixture into 5 cups lightly boiling water. Gently boil for 2-3 minutes. Cool until you can dip paper into mixture without burning yourself. 

Eggs

Make paper maché paste as above. When cool pour into pie tin. Blow up a balloon and tape to a table. Dip strips of newspaper in paste and place carefully on balloon. Continue overlapping pieces of newspaper on balloon. Cover balloon completely and let dry. It may take overnight to dry, particularly if children have use lots of paste. Once dry decorate the dried balloon with paint or colored tissue in pretty pastel Easter colors. Finish with shellac for a shiny, glazed effect.

Easter Parade Bonnet

• Paper plate
• Construction paper
• Crayons or markers
• Glue
• Yarn

Children can decorate the paper plate any way they wish. Glue on pieces of pastel paper, color flowers on plate, use your imagination. Tie yard to each side of plate so it can be tied under child's chin.

Or

• Construction paper
• Crayons, markers or stickers
• Tape or stapler
• Scissors
• Elastic thread or ribbon

Let children decorate a piece of paper. Make hat by folding paper into a cone shape, tape or staple together. Cut bottom so it is even. Staple a length of elastic thread or ribbon on each side to hold hat on.

Eggshell Mosaic

This is a great way to use up the remains of the Easter eggs. Children will love breaking up the eggshells.

• Colored eggshells
• Construction paper
• Crayon, pen or marker
• Glue

On a piece of paper have child draw a simple design (e.g. flower, balloon, kite, egg). Spread glue in design area. Sprinkle bits of broken eggshells onto glue. Allow to dry, then hang and enjoy.

No-Bake Craft Clay

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 2 cups baking soda
• Food coloring (optional)
• Paint (optional)

Add all ingredients in saucepan and stir over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Mixture should be consistency of moist mashed potatoes. Add food coloring if desired.

Remove from heat, turn on a plate and cover with a damp cloth. Let cool. When cool knead like dough. At this point you may store in an airtight container.

For Easter shape clay into egg shapes. Let dry and paint. You may also flatten one side and glue to brooch backs to make Easter jewelry.

• Brown & tan (or orange) construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Google eyes

Trace around the child's foot using brown construction paper. This will be the reindeer's head.
Trace around the child's hands using tan construction paper. These 2 pieces will be the reindeer's antlers.
Glue the handprint "antlers" to the top of the reindeer. Add a bright red paper nose, a paper (or drawn) mouth, and Google eyes (or paper eyes) to the reindeer's head.
You can now decorate your house for Christmas with these cute reindeers. Don't forget to put the child's name and age on the back of the reindeer.

• 2 white paper plates
• Construction paper (black, red) or wrapping paper
• Orange pipe cleaner (for the nose)
• A short piece of yarn or ribbon
• Hole punch
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Google eyes, large buttons

On one of the paper plates, cut off the outer rim, making a smaller plate.
Punch a hole near the rim on both plates.
Tie the two plates together, using the yarn (or ribbon).
On black construction paper, draw and then cut out a top hat and two boots. On colored construction paper (or gift wrap paper), draw and then cut out two mittens.
Glue the hat, boots and mittens on the snowman.
Either glue on Google eyes or draw eyes. Draw a mouth. For the nose, cut a short length from an orange pipe cleaner. Stick the pipe cleaner through the plate to secure it (if the plate is too tough, make a tiny hole with the tip of the scissors).
For the buttons, you can cut out shapes from construction paper, use round stickers, glue on real buttons, or simply draw them.

• A paper plate
• Red, green & yellow construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue or stapler

Trace a child's hand on red and green paper construction paper.
Cut out the hand tracings.
Glue or staple a circle of green handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) around the outside of the plate.
Glue or staple a second circle of red handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) just inside the first circle.
Glue or staple a third circle of red handprint tracings at the center of the plate.
Glue a small paper circle in the center of the flower.

• Hot glue gun
• A roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers)
• 4 wrapped peppermint candies
• A wrapped caramel
• A wrapped chocolate kiss
• A short length of yarn or string

Using a hot glue gun, glue four wrapped peppermint candies to a roll of candy; the peppermint candies are the wheels of the train.
Glue a wrapped caramel to the top, at one end the train. Glue a wrapped chocolate kiss on top of that.
To use the train as a tree ornament, glue a small length of string to the top of the train.

• Pine Cone
• Paper plate
• Butter knife
• Smooth peanut butter
• Birdseed
• Ribbon or yarn
• Scissors

• 3 Chenille stems (6" in length)
• 8 Crystal paddlewheel or sunburst beads (18 mm size)
• 20 Crystal faceted beads (8 mm size)
• 18 Crystal tri-beads (11 mm size)
• Hot glue gun or craft glue
• Wire cutters (to cut chenille stems)

• 1 faceted bead
• 1 tri-bead
• 1 faceted bead
• 1 tri-bead
• 1 paddle wheel
• 1 tri-bead
• 1 faceted

• Black Construction Paper
• Large Lima Beans
• Glue
• Markers

Glue the beans onto the paper, and use a fine point marker to make a face on the bean. This is the ghost. If you want, you can have the child draw a scene on the paper too!

• Cotton Balls
• Orange Paint Powder
• Pie Pan
• Brown Construction Paper
• Green Yarn
• Yarn

Put the paint powder in the pie pan. Roll the cotton balls around in the paint and then set aside. Spread glue onto the brown piece of paper. Put on the orange cotton balls (pumpkins) and the green yarn (vines). Or you can also just use orange pompoms.  

• Facial Tissues
• Markers
• String, yarn, rubber bands, twist ties, etc.

Take one piece of tissue and roll it into a ball. Put it in the center of another piece of tissue, gather, and tie. This will form the ghost's head. Use a marker to draw eyes and mouth!  

• Construction Paper
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Colored Tissue Paper (orange, red, or yellow work great)

Draw a Halloween character (bat, cat, pumpkin, ghost, etc.) on a piece of construction paper (just make sure the eyes are at least an inch around); cut it out, including the eyes. Trace the cutout onto another piece of paper and cut it out too, including the eyes. You now have the front and back. Glue tissue paper over the eyeholes on the backside of the front cut out. Glue the front and back together (make sure to line up the eyes) so the tissue paper is hidden inside.

• Brown Paper Bags
• Scrap Construction Paper
• Glue
• Crayons
• Scissors

• Paper Bag
• Scissors
• Optional Materials (see below)

• Brown Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Stapler or Tape
• Scrap Construction Paper

• Toilet Paper Roll
• Crayons
• Glue
• Construction Paper
• Scissors

• Heavy Paper
• Brown Paint
• Feathers

• Oatmeal Box or any Can with Lid
• Tape
• Construction Paper
• Rubber Bands
• Crayons
• Scissors

• Brown Paper Bags
• Scrap Construction Paper
• Newspaper
• Glue
• Crayons
• Scissors

• Paper Grocery Bags
• Magazines
• Crayons
• Glue
• Scissors

• Egg Cartons
• Scrap Paper, Feathers, Beads, Etc.
• Crayons
• Glue
• Scissors

• 2 Paper Grocery Bags
• Construction Paper (fall Colors)
• Crayons, Markers, or Pencils
• Glue
• Scissors

• Construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Yellow pipe cleaners
• Glue
• Wiggle eyes

• Grapevine wreath
• Pine cones
• Hot glue gun (clear glue sticks)
• Wired edged ribbon

• Puffy red chenille sticks in 4, 7, & 10 inch lengths
• A wooden craft stick cut to 1-1/2 inch length
• Narrow black chenille sticks
• White pipe cleaners
• Craft glue
• A cotton ball
• Felt-tip pin

First, fold a 7-inch red chenille stick in half, forming a narrow, inverted V shape.  Repeat with a 4-inch red chenille stick, then place that inside the fold of the longer stick.
Tuck the wooden craft stick between the folded chenille sticks at the top, to make a face.  About a third of the way down from top of fold, twist a 4-inch red chenille stick once around, letting the ends extend outward to make arms; wrap torso with a 10-inch red chenille stick, securing craft stick in place (about 1/2 inch of stick should be visible) and forming the body.
For each foot, wrap a narrow black chenille stick around the tip of a pair of needle-noose pliers, then form coil into boot shapes; use craft glue to secure boots to legs.
Attach "fur trim" by gluing bits of white pipe cleaner to shirt cuffs and boots, down the middles of the jacket and bordering the face.
Draw face on wooden stick with felt-tip pen and use pieces of cotton ball to create beard and a pompom for hat.  You can get creative with accessories for Santa; even send him on a ski vacation with white chenille-stick skis and pipe-cleaner poles.

• Cardboard
• 6-mm green chenille sticks
• White pipe cleaner
• Red felt-tip marker
• Hot glue gun
• Sequin & beads

Begin by cutting a cardboard circle 3 inches in diameter.  Cut a 1-1/2 inch-diameter circle out of its center to make a wreath form.
Wrap the form tightly with green chenille sticks; you'll need four or five 12-inch sticks to do the job.
To add a tiny candle, cut a 1-1/2-inch piece of white pipe cleaner; "light" the flame with a red felt-tip marker.  With hot glue, attach the candle to the wreath.  Glue a bow over it, and add sequins and beads as you wish.

• White pipe cleaners
• White wooden bead
• Narrow black chenille stick
• Pencil
• Silver tinsel stick
• Hot-glue gun
• Black felt-tip pin

Fold a white, 6-inch standard pipe cleaner in half.  Slide a wooden bead over the fold for a head, leaving a loop at the top above the bead.
For the arms, twist a white 3-inch pipe cleaner once just under the bead and let the ends extend outward on either side.  Wind a standard white pipe cleaner around the torso beginning just below the arms to form the body; leave the two ends of the torso pipe-cleaner sticking out to form the legs.
To make a hat, wrap a 6-inch piece of narrow black chenille stick around a pencil (create a brim by making the last loop larger than the rest.)  Place hat on loop above the bead head.
Crimp up bottom of legs to form feet and create ice skates by hot-gluing a short piece of silver tinsel to each foot.  Draw face onto bead with a felt-tip pen.

• Cardboard
• Double-sided tape
• 6-inch red terry-cloth chenille sticks
• White pipe cleaners
• Silver or red tinsel sticks
• Beads

Cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a stocking about 3-1/2 inches tall, 1-3/4 inches across at top and 2-1/4 inches across at widest part (foot.)  Apply two strips of double-sided tape to the back of the cutout.
Beginning about 5/8 inch from the top, wrap the stocking from cuff line to toe with 6-inch sticks of red terry chenille.  It will take about a dozen sticks to cover the surface; tuck in the end.
For the cuff, wrap form with standard white pipe cleaners, starting just above the red chenille and working to the top; curl up the end of the last piece to make a loop.  Wrap silver or red tinsel stem around bottom of cuff, and hot-glue at both ends. 
Glue beads to the top edge for decorations, if desired.

• Paper mache paste (See recipe below)
• Newspaper or newsprint cut in strips
• Heart shape balloons [any size]
• String
• Red and White craft paint
• Valentine ribbon [optional]
• Other Valentine decorations [optional]
• Heart shaped sponge [optional]
• Paint sealer
• Paint brushes, scissors, glue

Before you can create your Valentine hearts you will need to make a batch of paper mache paste.  Be sure to allow to cool first before using.

Step One:
Cover your work area - this can get quite messy!
Prepare your paper mache paste and allow to cool.

Rip pieces of paper into 2-inch by 8-inch strips.

Blow up balloons and tie off tight. Attach a piece of string about 3-feet long to end of balloon. You should be able to buy heart shaped balloons at a party or decorations store.

Dip pieces of paper into paper mache paste. Remove excess paste.

Place pieces of dipped paper on balloon. Repeat process until balloon is covered. Repeat with a second layer of paper.

Once balloon is completely covered with dipped paper hang to dry in a warm area with attached string. Be sure to cover area below balloon. Paste will drip.

Allow to dry for at least 24 hours or over night.

Once dry you are ready to decorate your heart balloons!

Step Two:

If the balloon inside your heart hasn't popped after drying, insert a pin through the hardened shell to pop the balloon. Carefully remove the balloon pieces.

Now comes the fun! It's time to decorate your balloon.

First thing you should do is put a coat of paint on your balloon. Choose any color. For Valentines - red, pink or white is nice. Make sure you coat entire balloon and allow to dry. Use a basic fast drying, water based, craft paint.

Once your first layer of paint is dry you can add decorations. You can sponge paint using heart shaped sponges with different colors of paint. Paint your own hearts on. Glue on heart decorations. Write messages. Draw a face. Whatever you like! Use your imagination.

Once you have completed decorating your balloon allow to dry completely. You can then spray with a paint sealer.

You can add ribbons and bows to your balloons to hang them. A hot glue gun works nicely to attach your ribbon. Be careful or get Mom or Dad to help with the hot glue.

Now hang your pretty creation!

Once dry you are ready to decorate your heart balloons!  

• Pink or red construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Colored markers
• Lollipops
• Gift wrap ribbon

Treat the whole class - or your Valentine party guests - to these sweet little tokens of your affection.

To make them, simply write names with colored markers on large heart-shaped paper cutouts, then glue lollipops to the back.

Decorate with ties made from gift-wrap ribbon. (Curl the ends of the ribbon by pulling them along a butter knife.)

Pack them in a decorated box or colorful shopping bag and take them on their way!

Green Hats
Supplies

• Green Paint16x20 inch sheets of newspaper
• 1x2 inch piece of sponge
• Plastic lids (for paint)

• Green and white construction paper
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Shoelaces, ribbon, or yarn for stringing

Cut several sizes of shamrocks from green and white construction paper.  Punch a hole in the top of each shamrock.  Give your child a shoelace (or length of a ribbon, or yarn with masking tape wrapped on each end) and show him how to string the shamrocks to make a Saint Patrick's Day necklace.