One thing I always think of when it comes to Easter are papier mâché eggs. The ones that come to mind are the vintage German eggs depicting happy chicks and bunnies delivering colorful eggs just in time for Easter.
I set out in pursuit of creating my own version of these traditional decorations but ended up with a tale of failed crafting. While I wasn’t able to overcome the challenges of découpaging paper along rounded edges, I did find myself inspired by another type of egg, this time from Russia – the Fabergé egg. With their exquisite gems and intricate lattice work, these eggs are for the few and far between. But never mind that because today we’ll make our own, much more affordable, DIY version.
DIY Easter egg box
Not including paint drying time, this project should take you about an hour to complete.
Materials
- Papier mâché egg
- Inner paint color
- Outer paint color
- Foam paint brushes
- 2 yds. ribbon
- Pearls or gems
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Fine tipped tool for applying glue (optional)
Step 1
Paint each half of the egg interior. Allow to dry.
Tip: Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic paint worked surprisingly well and required only one coat.
Step 2
Paint each half of the egg exterior with a color complimentary to your ribbon. Allow to dry.
Step 3
To create the lattice effect with your ribbon, begin by gluing one strip of ribbon across the top of the egg in a diagonal.
Let a small amount of ribbon hang over the edge. You will have a chance to cover and trim this at a later step.
Tip: I used a small drop of glue on each end to secure the ribbon. If a row wasn’t following the line I wanted, I used a second drop of glue along the body of the egg and underneath the ribbon. I used the metal tool shown in the materials picture to place the glue and guide the ribbon.
Step 4
Continue applying rows of evenly spaced ribbon down the length of the egg. I spaced my ribbon approximately 2″ apart. For a more intricate pattern, bring them closer together (though, if you do, you may require more yardage).
Step 5
Repeat steps 3 and 4 starting on the opposite side, crossing diagonally over the first rows of ribbon.
Step 6
Along the base of the egg, apply ribbon to cover up the edges of the lattice. Avoid gaps by gluing and pressing down along the entire circumference of the egg.
Step 7
Trim the edges from the ribbon.
Step 8
Apply pearls or metal adornments to the intersections of the lattice.
Nasdarovje! You just made a DIY Easter egg box fit for a czar!
