Paper Mache Easter Basket
A tisket, A tasket, a paper-mache basket!
Submitted by
Kayla Chong
Kayla Chong
Instead of buying yet another Easter basket, this year have the kids make their own.
- A balloon:Filled with regular air, not helium.
- Papier-maché mix:Mix one part water with two parts flour and stir to get a glue-like consistency.
- A bowl
- A mixing spoon
- Newspaper
- Tempera paint:In your kid's favorite colors.
- Paintbrush
- Embellishments:Like glitter, stickers, rhinestones, feathers, etc.
- Plastic Easter basket "grass":If you get an early start, you can even add real grass to her basket, using the instructions in our The Grass is Always Greener DO.
- Scissors and/or a big knife
- A needle or safety pin:For popping, not mending.
- A pen
- Duct tape or a hot glue gun and glue sticks:Kids and hot glue don't mix, so make sure you do all the gluing.
Cover your work surface with newspaper.
Then help your kid make the papier-maché mix.
Next have her rip up your Sunday paper into long, thin strips. Pull out the Parade magazine and read the celebrity section while she's shredding.
Blow up the balloon so that it's more oval-shaped than perfectly round. You may have to do some squeezing to achieve this effect.
Then have your kid dip the newspaper strips into the papier-maché paste. She'll need to smooth out any globs with her fingers.
Get her to continue sticking paper strips onto the balloon until she covers the whole surface with about 2 to 3 layers of paper, leaving a small gap at the balloon's knot.
Let it dry. This could take a day or two, so it'll be a good lesson in patience (or in whining "Is it done yet?").
The next day, pop the balloon with the pin.
Mark a spot on the oval about half way down and draw an even circle around the circumference.
Have your kid step back as you crack into the oval with a pair of scissors or a knife. Be careful!- Then carefully cut the oval open, following the line you drew. Set one half aside. The bottom half will be your kid's basket.
- Have her add more layers of papier-maché to make it sturdy. And let it dry overnight … again.
- The next day, put out all of the paint, stickers, glitter, rhinestones and feathers and invite your kid to decorate her basket as you …
- … trim the top half of the oval into a thin handle shape.
- Attach the handle to the inside of the basket part with duct tape or a hot glue gun.
- Then, have your kid decorate the handle.
- Finally, stuff the basket with plastic "grass" and lots of delicious stuff the dentist would disapprove of.
- Not up for all the cutting and assembling? Leave the papier-maché oval intact and have your kid paint and decorate it as a giant Easter egg.
- Got a kid who's stuck on papier-maché? Check out some other cool papier-maché projects at NickJr.com.
Submit!
