How to Make Papier Mâché Eggs

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posted on 12 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Papier-mâché eggs are both easy and fun to make. You can paint them bright colors and use them as Easter decorations, or you can paint them to look like real wild bird eggs and display them in your room. They do take a few days to dry, but they are a great, hands-on activity, which many children love. When you are finished, you can even fill them with candies, and crack them open later!

Steps

Making Basic Eggs

Blow up a balloon, tie the end into a knot, and set it down in a small cup. The cup will prevent the balloon from rolling away while you work.

Mix 2 parts white school glue with one part water in a small bowl. This will be your papier-mâché glue.

Tear some paper into small squares or rectangles. Newspaper works best, but you can also use plain newsprint paper from the craft store instead. Don't cut the paper; the ragged edges will help the paper seal together and give you a smoother finish. Consider using both newspaper and tissue paper. This way, when you do multiple layers, you will be able to see which one you are working on. Avoid using plain printer paper or construction paper. Both are too thick and too stiff for this project. You can also use gauze strips for your project.

Dip a paper strip into the glue, and place it onto the balloon. Drag the strip across the edge of the bowl as you pull it out. This will remove any excess glue. Place it down near the top of the balloon. Use your fingers or a paintbrush to smooth the paper down so that it lays flat against the balloon.

Continue applying the paper strips until the balloon is completely covered. Overlap the strips slightly as you work from one end of the balloon to the other. Work your way from the top of the balloon all the way down to the tail end. Do not cover the tail, or you won't be able to remove the balloon.

Apply a second layer of paper. You don't have to dip these strips of paper into the glue. Simply stick them to the wet paper that's already on the balloon, and use your fingers or a paintbrush to smooth down the edges. Consider using a tissue paper or plain newsprint for this layer. This way, you will be able to see what's cover and what isn't. Two layers is ideal for eggs that you want to cut open. If you want a sturdier egg, apply a third layer. You may have to use some extra glue for this one.

Hang the balloon up to dry. Use a clothespin to clip the balloon to a hanger or clothesline. Wait for it to dry completely before moving on. It may take up to 2 or 3 days.

Pop and remove the balloon. Once the egg is completely dry, gently tug the balloon tail up so that you expose a bit of the balloon. Pierce it with a pin or pair of scissors and wait for the balloon to deflate. Once it is completely deflated, pull it out and discard it.

Cover the hole with 2 to 3 layers of paper and glue and wait for it to dry. Use the same technique as you did for the rest of your egg. If you wish to fill your egg, then do so before covering up the hole.

Paint the egg a solid color using acrylic or tempra paint and wait for it to dry. To make the paint really stand out, coat the entire egg using white primer and let it dry. Once you have your white base, you can paint your egg any color you want. You can also add embellishments like rhinestones and feathers to your papier mâché project.

Add patterns to the eggs, if desired. Once your base color has dried, you can paint designs onto it. You can also draw designs using glitter glue or puffy paints instead. Great Easter designs include: stripes, dots, and squiggles. Try to use soft, pastel colors.

Consider giving the eggs a final coating of gloss. Once all the paint has dried, spray or paint the eggs with a glossy sealer. You can even use a glittery sealer to give it some extra sparkle.This will help make them more durable. If you'd like, you can cut the egg in half using jagged, zigzag lines so that it resembles a cracked open egg. When you are done, you can fill each half with fake grass, and place a little chick or bunny figure in each.

Making Tissue Paper Eggs

Blow up a water balloon, tie the end into a knot, and set it down into a cup. The cup will hold the balloon sturdy while you work.

Pour some liquid starch or decoupage glue into a bowl. You can also mix your own glue by using 2 parts white school glue and 1 part water.

Cut the white tissue paper into 1½-inch (3.81 centimeters) squares and set it aside. This will make the base for your egg. One sheet will be enough to coat three eggs.

Cut the colored tissue paper into 1½-inch (3.81 centimeters) squares and set it aside. This will make the outside of your egg. You can make it all one color or many different colors. Some crafters have noted that lighter colored tissue paper, such as yellow, shows the layering and overlapping more. To make polka dot eggs, punch a ¾-inch (1.91 centimeters) circle in the center of your square using a scrapbooking hole punch. Discard the circles, and use the squares so that you get white polkadots on your egg.

Start applying the base layer using the white tissue paper. Brush on some of your glue onto the balloon, and press a piece of white tissue paper onto it. Smooth it down with a brush dipped in more glue. Overlap the pieces as you cover the entire egg. Start applying the tissue paper at the top of the balloon and work your way towards the tail. Don't cover the tail up.

Apply the colored layer. If the tissue paper on the balloon is already damp, you do not need to apply more glue. Simply press a piece of colored tissue paper onto it, and smooth it down with a little more glue. Remember to overlap the pieces by a little. If you are making polka dotted eggs, be careful not to cover up the white polka dots!

Hang the balloon up to dry overnight. You can do this by clipping the tail of the balloon to a hanger or to a clothesline. This can take 2 to 3 days.

Pop and remove the balloon. Make sure that the balloon is completely dry, then gently tug on the balloon tail until you expose a bit of the balloon. Pierce the balloon with a pin or a pair of scissors. Wait for the balloon to deflate, then pull it out and discard it.

Fill the egg with candy, if desired. Small candies, such as chocolate eggs, work great! Be careful not to overfill the egg; it is still very fragile. If you do not wish to fill your egg, you can move onto the next step.

Cover the hole with 2 to 3 more layers of colored tissue paper. Use the same technique as you did when first covering the egg. Let the patch covering the hole dry before moving on. Because these eggs are made from colorful tissue paper, they don't need to be painted. You can still decorate them, however, with glitter glue if you'd like.