With Easter around the corner, I thought I'd dig out an Easter craft my girls and I did a couple years ago. They were 2 and 4 at the time, and admittedly it was a bit too much for them at the time. My oldest stuck with me, but my youngest wasn't up to the task. I personally think it's a great activity for age 5 and up, depending on how much your kid likes to sit and do this kind of thing. If we did it again today, my oldest would be into it with gusto.
This idea is from Family Fun's April 2009 issue. I apologize that I do not have pictures of the process. To create a papier-mache' version of a panoramic sugar egg with a springtime scene tucked inside, you will need:
- Colored tissue paper
- White paper
- Balloon (small)
- Newspaper
- String
- Jar lid
- Small bowl
- 1/4 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup water
- Ribbon (20 inch length)
- Tape
- Items for interior
1. Cut the tissue paper and white paper into 1-1/2 to 2 inch squares. Inflate the balloon to the size you'd like your finished egg to be (ours are about 7 inches tall), then knot it. Cover your work area with newspaper. Either suspend the balloon over your work area (string from the ceiling?) or set the balloon on an upside down jar lid while you work (this is what we did). In a small bowl, stir the flour and water together to make papier-mache' paste. Working with one square at a time, dip the tissue paper into the paste and smooth it onto the balloon. Cover the entire balloon, making sure the squares overlap slightly. This will be the inner wall of the egg.
2. Using the same dip-and-smooth method, add TWO layers of white paper squares on top of the tissue paper, then add another final layer of tissue paper.
As you can imagine, because you are adding four layers of paper, this can become a time-consuming and monotonous task for the little ones.
3. When the egg is completely dry, use a pencil to mark a window opening on the side (an oval shaped large enough to reach inside and place your springtime scene), then cut it out with scissors. If you managed to avoid popping the balloon up to this point, pop it now and throw it away.
4. Next decorate the window. Dip tissue paper squares into the paste, crumple them into balls, and put them around the edge. (By this time, my older daughter was DONE... the younger one didn't make it past the first layer of tissue paper. I had some squares ready for this step, but we just never got around to it. While the egg was drying, my oldest went off to play and would check back frequently because she was ready to play with it. So once it was dry she didn't want to add the decoration, she just wanted to play with it. And the diorama looks okay without it... but if you have seen a sugar egg diorama, there would be frosting around the opening to make it decorative).
5. Tie the ribbon into a bow, tuck the knot into the hole left by the knot of the balloon, and secure the ribbon on the inside with tape. Decorate the egg's interior. (We used Easter grass and we made it a house for the girls' little feathery chicks). You can display the egg on an upside down jar lid.
So, overall it is a fun activity, but not for little ones. And if your older child has a short attention span for crafty activities, then I'd say you need to find a different activity, as this one takes some time and patience.
I put our dioramas away with the Easter stuff the year we made them, so last year when I got them out, the girls were pretty excited to see them and play with them. And my oldest remembered there was supposed to be decoration around the edge of the window and asked about it. Maybe we'll add that this year.
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine [Jesus] and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24
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