This year I’m all about wild and crazy eggs (did you see the messy eggs I made for Parents magazine?). When we were testing different processes for that story, this was one of the rejects, but I held onto them because they were so organically gorgeous.

I love that even the youngest of makers can get with these…there is literally no way to mess them up!

Here’s how you make em…

What you’ll need:

• Eggs
• Liquid food coloring
• Water in cups or bowls
• Spoon
• White vinegar
• Measuring cups and spoons

Make it:

1. Mix white vinegar and water at a 1 to 1 ratio. Dip a paper towel in solution and wipe onto the egg.
2. Microwave a 1/2 cup of water mixed with a 1 teaspoon of white vinegar for 30 seconds. Add about 6 drops of dye and stir. (Do this for each color of dye that you want.)
3. Use a spoon to drizzle dye over the egg surface. You can let it just flow around the egg and drip off or you can twist the egg around to make active lines. Let it dry for a few minutes.
4. Drizzle another color or a deeper tone of the same color (just add 6 more drops to the original dye bath!) on top.
5. Experiment, play, and see what you get!

Bunnies and chicks often steal the spotlight at Easter, but they aren’t the only animals who are craft-worthy! Who says a panda and a penguin can’t be festive? An Easter egg is the perfect canvas for all sorts of creatures. Whether your favorite animals are of the woodland, farm, or tropical variety, we’ve collected 10 fun ways to animate your eggs.

1. Don’t be deceived, this doe-pe deer only looks difficult to make. With a faux flower crown and felted collar you craft a show stopper just like Lauren Conrad’s.

2. For another woodland option, Lia Griffith shares great ideas for using a paper punch. A few circles and a set of ears will make your eggs bright eyed and bushy tailed in no time.

3.

They may not quite be birds of a feather, but a swan and flamingo still look sweet flocking together. Follow Studio DIY‘s lead to help eggs hatch into beautiful birds.

4.

Though they usually prefer mud puddles, these crafty pigs will look right at home on your Easter table. Martha Stewart keeps them cute from their button noses to their curly tails using crepe paper and pipe cleaners.

5.

If you want to keep it classic, you can’t go wrong with a white rabbit. Covered in yarn, felt, and pom poms, we heart these fuzzy little bunnies from Parents magazine.

6.

To craft Easter decorations that aren’t in danger of cracking, a plastic egg garland is a cheery choice. Chicks and bunnies keep things bright and can be used year after year. via Family Fun

7. These cute egg cups from Archies can morph into any animal you want, just add ears (and accessories!)!

8.

We love these fingerprint eggs from Fraulein Klien – especially the panda. Starting with such a simple shape means the types animals you can make are only limited by your imagination!

9.

Tiny toys, whose main purpose seem to be poking your feet on the rug, are given new life perched atop Easter eggs. Flax and Twine douses them in gold for a look that’s refined but still playful.

10.

Encourage your kids to play with their food for once. These edible animals are a waste-free way to craft for Easter. Though they’re so cute you might be tempted to keep them around for at least an hour or two. Follow directions from Eating Richly.

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Thanks to Brother for sponsoring this post and providing crafters with a new tool for our trade! 

If your little ones are itching to be the stars of the show, give them a drum solo! They’ll love making music with an instrument, customized just for them. What this drum lacks in size, it makes up for in style—especially with the help of the P-touch Embellish tape and tibbon printer.

We started with soup lids, wrapped them in custom printed tape and created ribbons to produce an instrument worthy of a future superstar. Every icon needs their signature look, so let your kids choose the symbols, words, and patterns that suit their personality best.

Rock on, little ones! Go march to the beat of your own spin drum!

What you’ll need:

• Two cardboard to-go soup lids
• Patterned craft paper
• Colored tape to match paper
• Foam paintbrush
• P-touch Embellish Ribbon and Tape Printer
• P-touch Embellish pastel pink, berry pink tape, gold on pink ribbon
• Two wooden beads
• Hot glue gun
• Pencil
• Scissors

Make it:

1. Trace the soup lids onto the paper, trim to fit the top of the lids and glue in place.

2. Add colored tape to the edge of each lid to create a solid rim; fold any extra tape inside.

3. Trace the bottom of the foam paintbrush handle onto the edges of both soup lids and cut out. Glue the paintbrush into one lid, adding glue to the foam and on the dowel.

4. Print two six-inch ribbons with whichever pattern or words you’d like (we chose the musical note symbol) and glue them to the inside edges of the lid on opposite sides of the paintbrush.

5. Glue the second lid on top of the first by adding glue to the foam. If you need more height to make it reach, glue small pieces of cardboard to the foam.

6. Print two six-inch strips of tape with whichever pattern or words you’d like and, starting at the middle top, stick them on your drum covering the seam between the lids. Tip: when you reach the ribbon, cut the tape and make a vertical cut to go around the ribbon.

7. Tie a bead on the end of each ribbon. Make sure the bead is at the right length to hit the drum when it’s spun then cut off excess ribbon and add hot glue to secure.

Thanks to Brother for sponsoring this post and providing crafters with a new tool for our trade! 

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I was so excited when Parents magazine asked me to craft “messy” Easter eggs…beautiful egg designs that were all left to chance—leave your perfection at the door! I love this idea for two reasons

1. We can get so caught up in making “Pinterest-perfect” crafts. We see these precision-crafted egg designs, and while I love them (and make them) they can be very intimidating.
2. I love the idea of embracing the process…letting the dyes, paints, and materials take control and waiting to see what the final result is. It embraces the ideas of process art (check out Art Bar and Meri Cherry for some amazing process art tips!)

SHAVING CREAM MARBLED EGGS

Spread a thick layer of shaving cream on a cookie sheet.Add 4 or 5 drops of food coloring to a small section and mix it around with a toothpick or a straw.Roll an egg in the dyed shaving cream, and let the shaving cream sit on the egg’s surface for about 10 minutes. Pat excess off with paper towels.

Tip: Presoak eggs in white vinegar for 2 to 3 minutes for more vibrant color!

WATERCOLOR EASTER EGGS

Stand an egg up on a bottle cap or an overturned egg carton (resting the egg between the cups). Drip 1 to 4 drops of first color of food coloring on top of the egg. Spray with water. Repeat with additional colors.

SOAP-BUBBLE EASTER EGGS (top)

Mix 2 Tbs. dish soap with 1 tsp. water and 10 to 15 drops of dye. Blow into the solution with a straw, and then stir vigorously with the straw. Dip an egg into just the bubbles and let dry.

BUBBLE-WRAP EASTER EGGS (bottom)

Dye an egg the color of your choice.Press solvent ink pads onto Bubble Wrap. Lay an egg on the inked Bubble Wrap, gently pull up the corners, and wrap around egg.

Tip: Don’t move the eggs around on the Bubble Wrap or the ink will smear!

TAPE-RESIST AND TAPE EASTER EGGS

Wrap an egg in thin washi tape, pressing it firmly to the eggshell. Use a paintbrush or your finger to cover the egg with tempera paint. Let paint dry completely, then remove tape.

Tip: Use different widths of tape and stickers for more graphic designs!

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If you haven’t made any St. Patrick’s day plans yet, fear not! It’s the type of holiday where it just takes a few special touches to make a memory. And because it’s on a Saturday this year, there’s the extra chance for family fun. Whether your crew’s favorite way to celebrate is by eating, making, or doing, we’ve collected ideas for all three.

1. Getting your kids to eat a rainbow is not only holiday appropriate, it’s healthy! Say Yes suggests a supermarket scavenger hunt with your little ones to find foods for each hue.

2.

Santa’s not the only one who appreciates being left holiday sweets. These tiny Leprechaun donuts from Hello Wonderful are made out of baked biscuit dough so they’re easy for little hands to help with.

3.

For a St. Patty’s drink that’s as pretty as it is festive, try Sugar and Cloth’s coconut mint chip cocktail (extra points for rainbow macarons). Sugar Spice and Family Life shares the recipe for a kid friendly mint chocolate chip green smoothie.

4.

If green isn’t your color but you don’t want to be pinched, this clover corsage from Vitamini Handmade is a sweet option. With it’s vintage vibe, it may become a holiday staple.

5.

Let your little one take a rainbow wherever she goes with this adorable ribbon purse. It may not fit an entire pot of gold, but it’s the perfect size for a few chocolate coins! via Handmade Charlotte

6.

For a grown up version of your mini me’s rainbow purse, follow the how to from The House that Lars Built. A placemat and ric-rac combine to make the worlds cheeriest clutch.

7.

Hello Wonderful proves that an ombre rainbow can be just as much fun as its multicolored counterpart. Plus, this craft is a good chance to teach your kids compass skills as they draw concentric circles on cardboard.

8.

If you’re looking for a one-and-done holiday decoration, this shamrock may be the answer. A piece of wall art this big surely brings enough luck for the entire house. Check out Oleander and Palm for instructions.

9.

Honeycomb paper always feels holiday appropriate, but especially when it’s holiday shaped. Follow Studio DIY‘s how-to and craft your own field of clovers.

10.

For a St. Patrick’s day surprise you’re kids won’t forget, recreate Oh Happy Day‘s rainbow yarn treasure hunt. No matter what lies at the end of the rainbow, getting there will definitely be half the fun.

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