Get Easter Ready - DIY Decorations

With the Easter holidays just around the corner we thought we’d share these simple DIY decorations you can make at home with the whole family, to get your home looking eggstraordinary this Easter!

Egg blowing
Egg blowing is an easy way to preserve egg shells so you can use them as décor again and again – just be careful when storing them, as they’re very fragile of course.

You will need:

• a clean bowl
• a needle, pin, tiny nail or thumbtack
• a toothpick or straightened out paperclip
• uncooked eggs
• scotch tape, masking tape or blue painter’s tape
• towels
• soap and water

Step 1:
Put a small square of stickytape over both ends of an egg and take a needle or pin and poke a hole into the top end of the egg, through the tape. Wiggle the pin around a bit to make the hole just a little bit wider and to help break up the yolk inside the egg.

Holding the egg over a bowl, poke a second hole in the other end of the egg. Make the hole on the bottom end of the egg a little bigger than the hole on top (this is the hole all the insides will come out of).

Step 2:
Take the egg gently between your first finger and thumb, covering both holes, and shake it thoroughly. This will scramble the insides and make them liquid enough to pour out through the bottom hole.

Step 3:
Hold the egg over the bowl again, and blow through the smaller hole at the top of the egg. Make sure you get a good seal around the hole with your mouth so all the air is going into the egg. This part can be tricky but if it’s not working, try shaking the egg a bit more, or making the hole at the bottom slightly bigger. Keep blowing until the egg is completely empty.

Step 4:
Rinse the egg in warm soapy water, making sure you wash the inside of the shell too. Set it aside to dry, making sure the bottom is pointing down so the water can drip out. When it’s dry you can get busy decorating.

Here are some ideas for decorating your eggs:

Egg chicks
Cut coloured tissue paper into strips and squares, and brush with PVA glue. Wrap three to four layers around each egg. Next cut beaks, combs and wattles out of funky foam, felt or card and glue onto the eggs. Finally, glue on googly eyes and feathers to complete your bright, colourful and cheerful chicks.

Dye with food colouring
In a jar or bowl, mix a teaspoon of food colouring of your choice with a tablespoon of vinegar and enough warm water to cover the egg. Lower the egg into the dye carefully and use a spoon to hold the egg underwater for at least 5 minutes. Add more dye and dip them longer for a deeper egg colour.

Painting
Secure your egg in an egg cup or egg carton, with most of the shell visible for painting. if you have an intricate design in mind, sketch this onto the dry egg shell in pencil first – but be careful not to press too hard! Fill in your design with acrylic paint, and remember to let the paint dry before you turn it over to paint the bottom of the egg.

Now you have some masterpieces in your home ready for Easter, it’s time to tidy up. Like with all crafty activities, accidents and spills can happen, especially when working with glue, paint and dye. If you’ve spilt anything on your carpets during all this fun, don’t despair, we won’t leave you armed without a few do-it-yourself stain removal solutions.