Paper Hole Punch Easter Eggs

I'll be on a break for the next couple weeks, posting from afar while applying much sunblock and soaking up much sun on the sunny beaches of Florida. In my absence my cousin Amber from The McIllece Spot is taking a turn as a guest poster. She has three beautiful children, a husband who's served his country in Iraq and a lovely sense of style--and if you don't believe me just keep reading . . .

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My thanks to Michelle for asking me to guest post during her much-earned vacation, I am flattered beyond words and a little intimidated to walk around in her fabulous blogging shoes for even a day!

When my husband and I were still living in our tiny on-campus apartment our last year of college, my burning desire to decorate for each holiday was quickly tempered by our lack of income. I remember complaining to my mom and her sharing a great idea she had seen in a magazine many years before. It was simply this: punch out a bunch of paper hole punch circles and use them to decorate blown Easter eggs.

They were cheap, easy and I already had all the things I needed to create them. I just needed a bit of time and patience (which before my three children came along, I had plenty of). Not only are these easy decorations durable--if cleaned properly they will keep for years--they've got quite a visual impact sitting together in a bowl. So here we go!

1. You'll want to allow plenty of time for this first step, the eggs must be clean and dried completely before you start gluing. First, make two holes in a raw egg: one on each end. Blow through one hole until all the egg insides have come out the bottom. Carefully wash each egg with soap and water and blow out any remaining moisture. Place upright in an egg carton lined with paper towels to dry overnight.

2. Next, punch out holes with your paper hole punch in the desired color of cardstock. I like to use cardstock because the color options are endless. You could, however, use construction paper if you'd prefer.

3. Using a toothpick to apply craft glue (I like to use plain old Elmer's glue for this project because it dries clear), place a dab of glue at one end of the egg and cover the hole used to blow out the egg guts with a single paper circle.

Continue the process with toothpick and glue, spiraling down the egg, overlapping the circles so the egg is covered completely. Press each section of new circles gently into the egg, making sure to wipe away any extra glue that seeps through between the circles. Continue until the entire egg is covered and place another circle over hole at the other end of the egg.

4. You can play with stripes and dot patterns. This year, I put mine in our trifle bowl with a bit of crinkle paper in the bottom.

And there you go . . . beautiful, elegant Easter eggs that will delight for years to come!

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Congratulations to Jenna from Islip, New York for winning this week's Saturday Giveaway of a $60 gift certificate to Mikarose--which dress to choose? They're all so pretty!

Technorati tags: crafts, Easter, holidays, paper