Most of us put a few really great items in our children’s Easter baskets and the rest of the things are mostly fillers. That is, not everything in the basket is expensive, some things are selected because they cost little but help make the basket look much fuller. No one will know that’s what you have in mind, though, when you make little Easter animals out of cheap plastic eggs. It costs little to purchase the eggs and the craft supplies you’ll use cost pennies. Purchase a bag of the plastic eggs and you can make lots of animals for kids or home decorating. Fill the eggs with candy then proceed to make the egg into a cute animal by using various craft supplies.
Make a beautiful Easter chick by starting with a white or yellow egg. Use yellow craft foam to cut feet shapes. Glue the flat feet on the bottom of the egg (the widest end of the egg). Hot glue works great to attach the feet quickly. After the feet are in place the egg will stand on its own while you create a face. Glue on tiny black beads or pom-poms or even draw the eyes on with a black marker. Cut a small piece of foam into a diamond shape. Fold the diamond in half and glue the fold onto the face to form the beak. Cut wing shapes from white foam and glue them to the sides of the egg. The cute chick will make any small child giggle with delight.
You can make a mouse by laying the plastic egg on its side, on a towel. The face will be made on the wide end of the egg. Glue tiny black beads or pom-poms on for the eyes. Choose a slightly larger pom-pom or bead to make the nose. Glue it in place. Use a marker to create character in the face. Draw an upside-down “V” from the eyes to each side of the nose. The line should be thin and barely visible. The point of the “V” should be between – and just below – the eyes. Cut two circles from felt. Cut a tiny sliver off one side of each circle. Glue this straight area to the egg, creating the ears. Glue a long piece of yarn to the opposite end of the egg. This little mouse will absolutely thrill the recipient!
Make a cat by gluing four small pom-poms onto the wide end of the egg. The smaller end of the egg will be the head of the cat. The pom-poms should match the shade of the egg unless you’re creating a black and white effect. Glue two tiny black pom-poms or beads onto the egg for eyes. Glue a small pink pom-pom on the face for a nose. Cut thin, short strips of black felt or foam and glue them on for whiskers. Cut two small triangles and glue them in place, on top of the egg, to make the ears. Use a pipe cleaner, in the color of the egg, to make the tail. Make a tiny bend at one end of the tail to make it easier to glue to the egg. Shape the tail as you wish.
Make a sheep by starting with a white egg. Glue on black eyes and a black nose then cover the rest of the egg with tiny white pom-poms. Position two larger, black pom-poms where the ears would go. Use hot glue to quickly cover the sheep in the pom-poms – or even cotton balls – and get ready to see a huge smile from the recipient!
Although a pig usually isn’t connected with Easter you can make a really cute one from a pink egg. Make the face of the pig on the smallest end of the egg. Turn the egg on its side and glue four pink pom-poms on for feet. These will keep the egg from rolling. Make eyes from small black beads or pom-poms. A black button makes the perfect nose for the pig. Cut two triangles of pink felt or foam to make the ears. Wrap a pink pipe cleaner around a pencil three or four times. Cut away the excess. Glue the curly-q tail to the pig and place in a child’s basket or on a shelf somewhere.
For an Easter party, fill the eggs with candy and make enough animals for everyone who is coming. Arrange a small amount of Easter grass in the center of the table then position the candy-filled animals. When the guests leave they can take one with them.
You can easily make all sorts of animals by simply using markers, felt, foam and similar craft supplies to create the face and other attributes. They’re cheap and easy to create and will guarantee basket fillers that will please! There’s no need to spend extra money on fillers when you can make the cutest fillers ever! Get a bag of those cheap plastic eggs and get started. Easter’s almost here!
