How-to: Papier Mache Easter Eggs

Eco-Friendly Easter Crafts

papier mache Easter eggs (1 of 4)

4. Let the glue dry, then paint. To make sure that the unattractive newspaper will be completely covered, no matter what we decide to paint, we first paint a base coat onto the papier mache Easter egg. We chose green for the base coat this year, just because we have a lot of it.

After the base coat is dry, I snip a toilet paper tube into shorter rings for the kids to use as egg stands, and then they paint away! If you’d rather not paint, you could decorate with stickers, decoupage, or add another layer of papier mache using decorative papers, such as tissue paper, foreign language newspapers, or vintage book pages.

Cut the papier mache egg almost completely in half.
Cut the papier mache egg almost completely in half.

5. Slice it open! Let the paint dry completely, then take a sharp X-acto or box knife and slice through the middle of the egg, around approximately 90% of its circumference. Don’t cut all the way around it!

You’ll probably notice that there’s more wet glue on the inside of the egg; let the entire egg rest until it’s completely dry, inside and out.

Thread yarn or ribbon through holes on either side of the cut.
Thread yarn or ribbon through holes on either side of the cut.

6. Add a yarn tie. The papier mache is supple enough that you’ll easily be able to open and close your Easter egg by that hinge that you left uncut, but you want to be able to hold the egg closed so that all of your jelly beans don’t fall out too soon. Using a narrow hole punch, punch a hole through the egg on either side of the cut, and thread yarn, ribbon, or embroidery floss through the holes. Tie it into a loose bow, and it will hold the egg closed.

We LOVE these papier mache Easter eggs of ours. We use them yearly, adding to our stash nearly every Easter. They’re great fun to have in Easter egg hunts, but if one accidentally gets crunched by a too-enthusiastic seeker, we don’t fret.

We just recycle it!

3 thoughts on “How-to: Papier Mache Easter Eggs”

  1. Pingback: Easter Egg Crafts | Care2 Healthy Living

  2. Pingback: 20 Eco-Friendly Easter Egg Ideas | What About Pollution

  3. Pingback: Vegan Easter Egg Dying Alternatives: Keep the Memories

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