Spring Centerpiece with Easter Eggs and Crackle Paint

 Easter Egg Centerpiece

gather this:
5 - Styrofoam Egg (different sizes) (I got mine at Michaels)
Pastel Tissue Papers – (less than 1 sheet per egg)
Scissors
Mod Podge Gloss
Foam Paintbrush
FolkArt Extreme Glitter – Hologram 2782
Clay Pot
FolkArt Acrylic Paint – 480 Titanium White
FolkArt Crackle Medium
FolkArt Acrylic Paint – 518 Peony
FolkArt Acrylic Paint – 2490 Sawgrass
5 Cut Pieces of Dowel Rods
Large Styrofoam Ball
FolkArt Acrylic Paint – 480 317 Morning Sun
Hot Glue Gun Helpers
Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun
Moss
Silk Flowers
Gems or Beaded Sprays

Steps:
1. Cut the tissue paper into small squares. Apply a thick coat of Mod Podge onto the egg. Place the tissue paper squares onto the egg. Continue until the entire egg is covered. Add a topcoat of Mod Podge to the egg. Smooth the papers with your hands. Set aside and allow to dry. Add a second layer of paper if desired. Continue until all the eggs are covered.

2. Coat the dried eggs with a layer of Extreme Glitter.

3. Paint the exterior and top interior of the clay pot with white paint. Allow to dry. Add a coat of Crackle Medium. Allow to dry 4 hours in order for the crackle to properly work. Once dry, apply a coat of peony paint to the rim and inside edge of the pot. Work quickly and in one direction for proper crackling. Paint the base of the pot with sawgrass paint. Allow to dry.

4. Hot glue a large Styrofoam ball in the base of the pot. Secure the 5 dowel rods into the Styrofoam with hot glue. Paint the dowels with morning sun. Pierce the base of each egg onto a dowel rod. Use the largest egg in the center. Hot glue to secure.

5. Hot glue moss to the top of the Styrofoam ball and to the base of the eggs. Glue flowers and gems to the front of the clay pot and to the base of the eggs.

Mexican Confetti Eggs for Easter

A traditional Mexican craft, cascarones are easy to make and fun to decorate. They’re great for Easter, special occasions or anytime you’re looking for a lucky project. To bring luck, crack the egg on top of a friend’s head.

Supplies:

Food Coloring or Egg Dye
Plastic Cups
Water
Raw Eggs (one each)
Large Needle
Bamboo Skewer
Wire cooling Rack
Confetti
Tape
Mod Podge
Craft Paint
Gems
Ribbon scraps
Hot glue
Hot Glue Gun Helpers
Square Piece of Paper (one each)

Steps:

1. Create a dye bath: add a few drops of food/ egg coloring into the plastic cups. Add 1 cup of warm water to each cup. Add the eggs to the dye bath for about 2-3 minutes, or until the desired color is reached. Allow to dry.

2. Use the large needle to make a hole in one end of the egg. Gently pierce the egg until the opening is about the size of a penny. Insert the skewer into the egg and stir. This will break up the egg and make it easier to empty the contents. Rinse out the egg and invert onto the rack for drying.

3. Stuff the egg with confetti. Seal the hole on the egg with a piece of tape.

4. Add embellishments to the eggs: Mod Podge confetti, hot glue ribbons, paint designs or glue gems. * Use Hot Glue Gun Helpers so you don't burn your fingers *

5. Roll the square paper into a funnel/party horn shape. Secure the edges with Hot Glue. Hot glue fun trim or ribbons around the paper funnel. Glue the egg to the horn by applying a bead of hot glue around the inside rim of the horns and placing the egg (tape side goes in the paper funnel) on the end of the paper funnel.

6. Crack the egg on top of a friend’s head for good luck.

Easter Menu & Table Crafts

Wanna make this arrangement? Click Here!

I just finalized my Easter menu! This is one of my favorite holiday meals to prepare because so much can made a day or two in advance and I love spring salads.

Here is "the dish" on my dishes!

Main Dishes
Baked and Glazed Ham
Eggstrada/Quiche
Cooled BBQ Chicken

Salads & Sides
Grilled Salmon Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Salad
Bacon Wrapped Water-chestnuts
Veggies (MIL is bringing)

Breads
Lavash Bread (Armenian)
Rolls for Mini Sandwiches
Boregs (Armenian)

Drinks
Mimosas
Peach Sangria
Coffee
Ice Tea
Lemon & Cucumber Water

Desserts:
Armenian Pastry (MIL is bringing)
Aunt B's Lime Jello (sissy is bringing)

Are you hungry yet??

Wanna get crafty? Here is a round-up of some spring and Easter projects for your dinner table. Visit the links for complete instructions.

Spring Sign

Dollar Store Do Over: Glittered Bunny

Painted Easter Napkins

Mod Podge Utensil Caddy

Easter Gift Box

Glittered Egg Place Card Holder

Easter Basket #3 - Use up your scrap papers!

Use up your scrap papers and create tattered paper flower embellishments. They are perfect for adding pop to a plain Easter basket.

They can used in tons of ways!

- tie on to gift packages
-create placecard holders by attaching a name tag
-add a pin back for a broach
-attach wire stems to make vase style flowers
-hot glue to a headband
-scatter across an entry way table
-glue around spring wreath

Materials:
2782 - FolkArt - Extreme Glitter - Hologram or Mod Podge
5 or 6 different prints of scrapbook paper
Foam paintbrush
Wax paper
Large rhinestone (one for each flower)
Hot glue
Ribbon
Easter Basket

Steps:
1. Tear the papers into random circle shapes in various sizes. The largest should be around 3 inches and the smallest about 1.5 inches. The idea is to tear an organic shape, don't worry about creating perfect circles. You will need about 5 or 6 circles per flower.

2. Place the circles print side up on the wax paper. Coat each circle with 2 layers of extreme glitter.

3. Once dry, hot glue the circles in a graduated layer fashion. Hot glue a gem to the center of each flower.

4. Add ribbon embellishment to the Easter basket with hot glue. Hot glue the flowers across the center front of the basket.

Easter Basket #2 - Dollar Store Revamp!

Designed for Plaid!

This vintage inspired Easter basket was made from a thrift shop book, a dollar store plastic bowl and a recycled fed ex envelope.

Materials:
Mod Podge - Gloss, 8 oz.
Large plastic bowl
Old romance novel
Foam Paintbrush
Scissors
Post card images
Rick Rack trim
Buttons
Hot glue
Tinsel
Cardboard scraps (I used a fed ex envelope)

Steps:
1. Remove pages from the book. Trim into small sections for the rim and base of the bowl and large sections for the middle of the bowl.

2. Working on the inside lip and edge of the bowl, apply Mod Podge to the bowl, position the small papers into the Mod Podge, press with your finger and secure with a topcoat of Mod Podge. Repeat this step working on the base of the bowl.

3. Continue covering the bowl with the larger pieces until the entire bowl is covered. Add additional design elements like post card images, magazine clippings or clipart to the front of the bowl.

4. Once dry, hot glue trim and buttons around the post cards. Hot glue tinsel around the edge of the bowl.

5. Fashion a handle by cutting cardboard into a long strip. You may need to piece the cardboard together. Wrap the strip with tinsel and secure with hot glue. Hot glue the handles to the inside of the bowl.

Easter Basket #1 - Recyled Soup Can Easter Basket

Soup Can Easter Basket for Plaid

We have whipped up 10 different styles of Easter Baskets this Spring. I'll be posting them all week long. This first one is a small one and it is made from a recycled soup can. This size is perfect for a co-worker, neighbor or friend. Easter falls on April 4 this year.


Materials:
Mod Podge - Matte, 4 oz.
Large soup can
Paper
Scissors
Foam paintbrush
Ribbon
Hot Glue
Moss
Glitter butterflies

Steps:
1. Thoroughly clean the soup can and remove the label. Using the label as a template, cut the same shape from decorative paper.

2. Apply Mod Podge to the backside of the paper. Position around the soup can. Topcoat with a layer of Mod Podge. Allow to dry.

3. Hot glue a strip of ribbon around the top edge and moss to the bottom edge. Attach a few silk butterflies with hot glue.