Easter Eggs - Three Ways

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

With Easter fast approaching, I thought it might be nice to post a few cool egg decorating techniques.

All of these ideas make use of the following dye recipe but you could always use a store-bought variety instead.


ALL PURPOSE DYE RECIPE

Gather: 1/2 bottle of food coloring; 1 tbsp white vinegar; stainless steel pot; water; eggs
Fill: the pot with enough water to cover 4 hard-boiled eggs.
Add: the food coloring and vinegar
Heat: water almost to the boiling point
Lower: eggs into the dye
Leave: eggs in the dye until desired color is achieved.
Please Note: For smaller amounts of dye, use 1/4 teaspoon food coloring, 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. (see below)

Simplify

Ready set go and measure 1/4 teaspoon food coloring and put it in a bowl. Add 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to the mix. Eggscellent! Now, lower an egg into the dye and leave it in until the color looks right. When ready, remove the egg and let it dry. Perfect! Do this for each color you wish to use.

Once you have your dye, you are ready to try the following egg decorating techniques...

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RUBBER BAND EGGS

This one is simple. All you need to do is wrap your egg with a rubber band before dipping it in the dye.

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MARBLEIZED EGGS

Just add a few drops of vegetable oil to your dye mix to achieve this effect.

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CRAYON RESIST EGGS

This is a simplification of a wax resist egg.
All you need to do is draw on your egg with crayon before dipping it into the dye.

So, how do you like your eggs?

Keep creating!
~Andrea

For more great Easter ideas, visit http://kinderart.com/seasons/easter.shtml

Margarine Lids, Nails and Scrimshaw

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

Do you have a few plastic margarine or yogurt container lids hanging around? Would you and your students or kids like to try your hands at a modern adaptation of an indigenous North American craft?

If so, simply gather some margarine or yogurt container lids, a pen or pencil, a few nails, black or dark blue paint, brushes, an old rag and a touch of white glue.

• Ready, set, go and get a margarine lid and turn it upside down so you are looking at the inside of the lid.



• First draw a picture on the lid using a pen or pencil and then complete the picture by using a nail to scratch many lines into the plastic. 



• Next comes the paint. If you have acrylic paint --great. If you have tempera paint, add a touch of glue to make it sticky.



• Spread the paint over the picture and wipe it with a dry rag to remove the excess.



• The paint will fill in the scratches and leave you with modern scrimshaw that you can hang on your wall.

Tip: You can glue a piece of yarn to the back of your lid to create a hanger.

Note to Teachers: Margarine lids have a natural "paint-catching lip" which is wonderful for those with little hands.

Did you know...

Scrimshaw is the name given to the craft of scratching, carving, or etching designs into bone or ivory. Many native peoples from along the northwest coast of North America created scrimshaw long before the men on whaling ships began trying their hand at the craft in the early 1800s. Back in those days, scrimshaw designs often included pictures of ships, whales, and birds found along the seacoast.

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans at http://www.kinderart.com.

Lesson: Andrea Mulder-Slater

Illustration: Geoff Slater

Paper Cups, Vases and Water Fountains

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

Would you and your students or kids like to create a craft that celebrates the arrival of spring? 

If so, simply gather three paper cups, glue, tissue paper or fabric and some sand or pebbles.

• Ready, set go and place one of the cups (right side up) on a table and fill it halfway with sand or pebbles. 
• Next, glue a second cup to the first, top to top. 
• Then, glue a third cup to the second, bottom to bottom. 
• Finally, to decorate, glue small pieces of torn tissue paper all over the cups, or, you might instead wish to paint the cups with spring colors.
• You are now ready to fill your mini-vase with bright, colorful flowers.

Did you know...

In the early 1900s, an inventor by the name of Hugh Moore decided to create and market a vending machine that for just one penny, would give thirsty people a cool drink of water in a disposable paper cup. These paper cups (later known as Dixie® Cups) replaced metal cups which, up until that time, had been used for taking drinks from water fountains. 

Now you know.

Find thousands of FREE art lesson plans (including this one) at http://www.kinderart.com.

Lesson: Andrea Mulder-Slater

Illustration: Geoff Slater