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How to Make Thread Easter Eggs

A Simple but Messy Craft for Children

Mar 5, 2008 Melissa Howard

Thread Easter Eggs are a fun messy Easter craft for kids of all ages.

Thread Easter eggs are a fun craft for kids. This project allows children to get messy and there are few rules for this project.

Suggested Age

6 years old to 99 years old

Supplies

  • small oval balloons
  • cotton thread (the kind used for crocheting doilies) or light-weight yarn
  • liquid starch
  • scissors
  • bowl

Instructions

  1. Blow up your balloons.
  2. Fill your bowl up with liquid starch
  3. Cut a bunch of thread in 12” to 24” lengths (a clothes hanger is handy for hanging them on – then hook them nearby so that you can quickly grab one thread at a time).
  4. Soak one thread at a time in the liquid starch. Run the strand through your fingers to remove the excess liquid.
  5. Wrap the thread around the balloon at random. Continue to wrap thread around the balloon until you are happy with the coverage.
  6. Tie a thread around the neck of the balloon and hang it to dry.
  7. Let it dry (it takes about 6-8 hours (depending on the humidity) for the thread to dry).
  8. When it is dry, pop the balloon. It will make a delightful rattling noise as the balloon pulls away from the starched threads.
  9. Add a thread hanging loop if you wish to hang your Easter eggs in a tree. You egg is done!

Ideas and Suggestions

  • If you have a good location for it, hang the balloon up while you work on it. It is much simpler to work on all sides of the balloon if you can just spin it on its thread.
  • Have plenty of rags on hand for clean-up.
  • This project could be done with very young children, if you do not mind a very, very big mess.
  • Variegated yarn or thread is particularly pretty for this project.
  • If you are careful, it is possible to cut out the dried thread balloon into the shape of a basket. Once the shape is cut out, glue lace along the raw edges to reinforce and strengthen them. Use a lacy thread basket filled with grass and Easter Eggs as a light and airy centerpiece.

About the Sample Project

The sample project was done using sports weight variegated yarn.

The project was done one-half at a time. About two-thirds of the balloon was wrapped in yarn and allowed to dry. When the yarn was dry, the balloon was flipped over in the cup holding it and the balloon was wrapped about two-thirds of the way from the bottom (which was now the top).

One balloon popped before the second batch of yarn was added. It was a simple thing to blow a balloon up inside the empty shell so that the second half could be finished.

The copyright of the article How to Make Thread Easter Eggs in Kids Crafts is owned by Melissa Howard. Permission to republish How to Make Thread Easter Eggs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Thread Easter Eggs, Melissa Howard Thread Easter Eggs
Detail of Thread Easter Egg, Melissa Howard Detail of Thread Easter Egg
 
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