To make a paper mache’ egg, you will need newspaper, a glue mixture, a large balloon, scissors, paint, paint brush and whatever decorations you desire. If you want to make a scene on the inside, gather those supplies also.
First, you need to make your glue mixture. You can take 1 cup of flour and 1-1/2 cups of water. Mix it and use it for your paste. A second recipe is to mix half glue and half water. Next, you want to rip a lot of strips of newspapers approximately an inch or two inches wide and 7 or 8 inches long..
To get started making your paper mache’ egg, cover your work area with newspaper and maybe even some wax paper. Paper mache’ can be a pretty messy project so be prepared. Also, be sure you are wearing old clothing.
Roll up a small piece of newspaper like a rope and then twist it to make a circle on your work area. Now blow up your balloon and tie the end. Place the balloon in the center of the newspaper circle to keep it in place as you work on it. You can place the balloon in a shallow bowl if you prefer.
You are now ready to start making the paper mache’ egg. Start dipping the strips of newspaper you cut into the glue. As you pull them out of the glue mixture, run them between your fingers to get rid of the excess glue. Lay the glue-soaked newspaper strips on the balloon, making sure they lay flat on the balloon. Do this all around the balloon several times and let it dry. It will need to sit over night or longer to completely dry. You then want to put a second layer on. You can use Kleenex or tissue paper on this layer if you wish. When your egg is completely dry, poke the balloon with a pin or something sharp. You can now paint the balloon and decorate it. If you use colored Kleenex or colored tissue paper and put it on heavy enough, you may not have to paint the egg. Although not recommended, you can do all layers at once but be sure you have enough layers to hold the egg shape once it is dry. Your paper mache’ egg will take much longer to dry this way also.
You can paint designs on your paper mache’ egg or decorate it with lace, fancy stones, glitter or leave it a solid color. If you want to use this egg as a decoration, you can cut a large, oval shape out of the side of the paper mache’ egg and decorate the inside. You can put Easter grass in there and bunnies and chicks or you can put dirt, stones, little figurines and other decorations and make a scene of any type for any season.
Another alternative is to pop the balloon and make a hole where the knot of the balloon was. You can then put little gifts and candy in the hole. Now, put a few more glue-soaked strips over the opening and let that dry. Paint it to match the rest of the egg. You now have a piñata’ for the kids in the family to try to break.
Making a paper mache egg is a messy but fun project for you and your family to do together. You could even do two and give one to a friend.
