Here Come's Peter Cottontail...

Easter is coming early this year! Falling on the last day of March I had to rush my Easter crafts and do them while I still  had our St. Patrick's Day crafts out. For our first Easter craft of 2013 I decided to stick with one that I have already done with my children. The super fun and cute String Easter Eggs.

Lately I have been seeing people posting pictures of these online with candy in the eggs. I think that is a great idea but with the amount of work that goes into making these super awesome eggs... I would not want to destroy it to get the candy out :o) But hey, that is just me!!

To make this craft here are the following materials you will need :

• Balloons, I have found water balloons work best. They are smaller and more egg shape. Also a heck of a lot harder to blow up so be prepared for that!
• Glue (Elmer's Glue or Store Brand doesn't matter) 
• Embroidery Floss 
• Scissors
• Bowl & Spoon, plastic is easier to rinse off when finished.
• Water
• Needle
• (optional) Spray Starch *for added stiffness

To begin you need to decided how many eggs you would like to have when finished. Now add 4 to that number just to be safe :o) After all your "eggs" are blown up you will need to make the glue mixture used for the string.

I don't have exact measurements on this so I will do my best to explain it. Start with some water in your bowl, probably about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Then squeeze in the glue, don't be shy! I would say squeeze just less then half of a normal sized bottle of glue into the water. Then mix, you want it to be the consistency of milk, I would say 2% milk :o)

Now again, not sure on the measurements, you need to pick the string and cut a strip. I grab it in one hand and stretch my arms apart length wise 2 and 1/2 times and cut, I am 5'5" if that gives you a better idea of size ... Once you have your strand of string slowly put it in your glue mixture. Use the spoon to gently get all the string wet with the mixture. Once you are done you can start to wrap your balloon with the string. I gently run my fingers around the string so that not too much liquid is on it but enough is on there to make the string stiff when it dries.

As you are wrapping the string be sure to not wrap too close to the knot on the balloon, this will cause it to cave in when you are popping the balloon. I hang my balloons up to dry over night. When they feel good and dry you can do one of two things. You can either spray them with the spray on starch if you want to be sure they are stiff or you can start to pop the balloons.

Where I live it is still pretty cold here in Michigan when Easter is coming, so the cold weather helps me with this part. I take my "eggs" outside and cold air makes the balloons shrink just enough that I can run a needle between the balloon and the string, releasing them from each other. Once the balloon and string are separated I poke a hole or two or three in the top of the balloon by the knot. Once all the air is gone from the balloon you can remove it through one of the bigger holes on your egg. 

Do this to all your "eggs" and then decorate with them however you wish! I take sewing thread and hang ours from the ceiling :o)

Here is a picture from last year's eggs, 2012

And here are a couple pictures of our eggs this year, 2013.

Enjoy!! Remember, people have been adding little candies inside the balloons too, but I like them just the way they are, without the goodie :o)