All About Easter

Dying and creating Easter eggs can be a fun project whether you are an adult or a kid. Here are some photos for inspiration along with some tips on creating one-of-a-kind eggs. Decorated Easter egg collage courtesy of DessertLover2010 at Flickr. I LOVE the bug hug in the upper right corner!

First of all, you must have hard-boiled eggs to use for the dying process. Place a dozen eggs in a very large saucepan and cover them completely with COLD water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer eggs for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the eggs being careful not to crack them. Cover the eggs again with cold water to stop the cooking process until the eggs are completely cooled. Remove from water and dry eggs completely prior to decorating. You have several options for creating unique Easter eggs.

1) Buy a Decorating Kit (e.g. Paas) - this of course is the easiest method. Many come with stickers and other embellishments.

2) Make your own dye by combining about 1 TBSP food coloring with 2 tsp. vinegar and a 1/4 cup boiling water. You can create very unique colors by making your own dye. Be sure to cool completely before dipping eggs.

3) To make patterns on your eggs, use coloring crayons to make patterns or wrap the eggs with rubber bands. You could also use masking tape on the eggs to create patterns. When you dip the eggs in the dye, the wax crayon lines, masking taped areas and the areas where there are rubber bands will not be colored.

4) After dying the eggs, use things like ribbon, glitter, stickers, confetti or other small items to adorn the eggs. Just use craft glue to put them on. You could also use markers to draw patterns or polka dots on the eggs.

5) Create a marbled effect on the eggs by dying them in a solution 1 TBSP vinegar, 1 TBSP cooking oil, and 1 tsp. food color. Put the solution in a cup and drop the egg in the solution. Remove quickly to achieve a marbled looking egg.

Your kids will be hopping for joy when they are making fun Easter crafts. Above I've included a photo collage (Easter Crafts from Flickr) for inspiration and there are many websites on the internet that have great Easter craft ideas including FamilyFun.com and Crafts.Kaboose.com

If you want to try doing a craft beyond coloring Easter eggs with the kids, how about having them make something that they can wear on Easter day with the family. Ideas include a set of bunny ears easily made from construction paper and custom fit to the child's head, a bunny hat, or an Easter bonnet made from an adorned paper plate.

Another option is to create some chicks, bunnies or other critters from things like felt, pipe cleaners, glue, feathers, etc. Many people use small Styrofoam balls from the craft store and use them as the center portion and then let the kids choose other embellishments to create their very own critter.

Bags, pails and baskets can easily be converted into hippity hoppity bunny creations by using standard construction paper, foam, felt, markers and crayons (along with a little glue and scissors of course).

Finally, crafts that focus on the religious aspect of the holiday are a fantastic choice. Foam cross pins, necklaces with beads and greeting cards featuring a cross design are a great way for you to incorporate your religious beliefs easily into craft projects.

Photo Courtesy of DessertLover Easter Desserts at Flickr.