Crafts & Fun

Egg-citing Surprise
You won’t know exactly how these eggs are going to look until you strip off their multicoloured veils. Ages: 3 and up

You’ll need:
• hard-boiled eggs
• coloured paper streamers, crepe paper or tissue paper (see “Paper Chase”)
• small paintbrush
• water
• newspaper

1. Tear some different-coloured papers into small pieces, roughly 2.5 cm (1½ in.) side to side.

2. Paint the bits of paper with water and stick them on the egg (yes, they’ll stay in place), or briefly — very briefly — dip the paper in water and apply to the egg. Overlap some of them. Cover the whole surface or use the colour of the egg as part of your pattern.

3. Let the covered egg sit on newspaper for half an hour, then unwrap.

Egg-stra ideas

Stripes Tear off a 45 cm (18 in.) length of streamer, fold it in half to make it shorter and easier to handle, wet it by sprinkling a few drops of water on it (or paint it with water) and wrap it around the egg on top of itself. As you wet the paper, shape it gently so it’s about 1 cm (½ in.) wide (you’ll be able to fit about 5 stripes on an egg). You don’t have to wrap the ends of the egg; just wad up the paper, and the water will keep it in place. Let the egg sit for half an hour before unwrapping.

Stencils Cut out a shape, like a heart or diamond, from plastic wrap (Glad Press’n Seal works particularly well). Press the cut-out onto a dry egg. Cover the egg with wet tissue paper. When you remove the wrapping, the shape will leave a silhouette.

Originally published in Today's Parent, March 2005