April 7, 2009

A fun, kid-friendly Easter craft


Because I embrace my role as the fountain of good ideas, I share with you now an Easter craft that I got off the Internet. Hailed widely as a super easy "one star difficulty" craft that you can do with your kids, these fabric-covered Easter eggs are sure to please and guaranteed to make you feel good about yourself.

Supplies:
1 bag of plastic Easter eggs


2. Assorted fabrics. You can use your common sense and buy seasonally appropriate fabric at the fabric store, but if you are afraid of the fabric store/like to make things more difficult for yourself than they need to be, you can follow my example and buy a book of 1990s upholstery samples from the thrift store.


3. Modge Podge
This liquid glue is awesome, but my son learned the hard way that if you sniff too much of it, it gives you a headache.

Instructions
1. Cut a piece of fabric big enough to fit around each egg (approximately 3" x 5"). If you're working with burlap and are using office scissors like me, plan for this stage to take at least 10 minutes.

2. Give each of the long sides of the fabric into strips, making sure to leave a space in the middle for the egg.

3. Slather the egg in Modge Podge and cover the egg with the strips of fabric.

4. If you're super lucky, your egg will turn out like this:


"That looks like a dead bird," my husband said when I showed him the finished product.

Despite fierce protestations to the contrary, I had to admit that my husband was right. My feelings of despair and self-loathing over transforming a symbol of birth (egg) into an image of death, however, was short lived. As my kids generously pointed out, it's Easter time, the season of resurrection.

For someone who got significantly better results doing this craft, go here.

34 comments

Anonymous said...

Jana, at least you TRIED. My kids would end up throwing the eggs and the scissors at each other.

Fresh Metal said...

Love the idea, but I can imagine mine would turn out like yours! Wouldn't it be easier to apply some fun stickers to the egg instead? I have a 2 year old, so I'm not keen on the gettin high on glue idea!

Melanie said...

LOL!! Thanks for that. I'll chuckle all day.

Anonymous said...

I started reading your column with a sense of dread at yet another failed craft opportunity in which my children would inform me with their crestfallen faces that it "doesn't look like the picture." I am so thankful for the end photo because that is exactly what mine would look like. Depressing gray and all. Differently abled crafters unite!

Pam said...

Thanks for the laugh this morning. I applaude your efforts!

Cadi said...

Oh my!!! I laugh out loud every time you post! Thanks for the funniness.

Unknown said...

Why is it the crafty people always say it is "super easy" and then you try and it looks nothing like the picture.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had "dead birds" on doing the "super easy" fabric eggs.

Unknown said...

I too, am craft challanged.

Helen said...

My first thought was it looked like a weird turd... dead bird is maybe more accurate though ;)

Melissa M. said...

A truly "mean mom" would put candy inside of the egg first.

Unknown said...

Haha, don't feel bad Jana, my crafts projects NEVER turn out well. I like your dead bird.

Kris said...

Oh, that is so, so funny!!

Anonymous said...

Dead bird....oh my gosh, I'm going to pee in my pants! k in nc

MarMar said...

LOL - thank you for sharing your results with us. If it's any consolation, mine wouldn't have even looked half that good!

A Few Tacos Shy... said...

Thank you so much for your blog. I am so tired of all the "our house is perfect" mommy bloggers out there. Thank you for giving me hope that I am normal!

Jenny said...

LOL! I've seen those too and decided there was no way that I could make them look good.

Gina @ MoneywiseMoms said...

This is the second time in a few days that I have spit out my drink because of your blog. Thanks, again!

And note to self--no drinking while reading Meanest Mom. :)

Katy said...

I love reading your blog. You make me laugh out loud every time!!!

Gina said...

At least you did a craft. I think it's beautiful. Better than the eggs I tried to make, which don't exist!

CSIowa said...

PERFECT! I love it!

I've made these before, with origami paper and real eggshells (after you blow out the egg through a pinhole). Cutting the fringes into points helps make it not so bulky. Still messy and fun, though. Maybe your son would find spray varnish a delightful change of pace to glue-sniffing. Tie a bow in a length of ribbon, get out your glue gun, and then you can hang them anywhere--no basket required.

Holly said...

Maybe the ugly/dead bird part of her eggs are on the bottom so they are hidden by being in the basket.

Run with it.

Amy from Our Dish said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amy from Our Dish said...

Awwwww! I think that upholstery fabric was too thick for this. Try little strips of tissue paper next time (I've done a similar project and it works perfectly. Plus we all have loads of that wadded up stuff in old gift bags, right?) Good luck and don't give up!

slovakiasteph said...

I think it looks like a turkey. You could use it at Thanksgiving instead of Easter-- make a centerpiece out of it.

The fabric thickness possibly contributed to your difficulties-- use a lightweight cotton, not a thick upholstery fabric.

V and Co. said...

okay i just peed my pants laughing that it looks like a dead bird. but hey thanks for the link my visits and hits are going crazy today.
i'm off to read more of your blog because apparently i live in a hole and have just come across your blog as of today.
wisky tango foxtrot.

Beth said...

It kind of does look like a dead bird. It still looks better than what I could do.

Stephanie said...

I think you and I are kindred crafters. Every once in a while I feel compelled to try some holiday project and then I remember why I don't do it more often. You crack me up (no egg pun intended).

Mommy, That's My Name, Don't Wear It Out said...

What a cute idea! I laughed at your husband's comment. Mine would have said the same if I made it. I like it- it has flair!
So glad I found your blog!

Abbey said...

I LOVE IT! I laughed so hard I almost spit out my water! Thanks for making my day!

Jamie said...

Don't feel bad. I set out to make my kids superhero capes for their Easter baskets, thinking it would be an easy, inexpensive gift. So far I'm up to $30 on supplies, and I have a feeling the final product is not going to be as cute as the final product in various superhero-cape tutorials I've seen around the Internet.

Signed,
Because I Can't Really Sew, Which Might Be A Problem

janaemadsen said...

I guess you need more modge podge

Erin said...

Oh my god, between this and the soap post, I am laughing my ass off over here. Please don't wash my mouth out. My mom did that when I was 8 and said "hump." It didn't work. I swear like a truck driver to this day.

Anyway, I'm so glad to see that other people handle crafts the way I do!

Bethany said...

That's way too funny-- hey, at least you attempted!!!

Stacy said...

I did this with my four year old, but we made strips and wrapped the egg like a mummy.

Then we slopped on lots more modge podge so the whole thing looked white. When the modge podge dried, it was clear, so it looked pretty good.

Next time maybe try the mummy way. :o)