Most Beautiful Easter Eggs!

Easter 2011

I found a lovely idea through Laura Pauli's blog, The Wonder of Childhood.
She describes how to make these beautiful eggs with silk ties.
It is not for the faint of heart and takes a while but these photos make me want to try!  The level of details that transfers to the eggs from the silk is amazing.  This will be our first year to try it and I am hoping for grand results.



Here are the instructions. Have fun!

Items you’ll need: 100% silk, kitchen twine or twisties, 100% white cotton, white eggs, vinegar, vegetable oil, large pot, small sharp scissors

Step 1. Gather (buy, borrow…) silk ties, scarves, boxers, shirts, etc… For the ties, you’ll need to unravel the seams, take out the felt, and spread out the silk. You can usually get 3 small or 2 medium eggs covered out of one tie. Doing this the day before might be the best plan as it is a bit tedious and takes a while.



Step 2. Cut the silk into squares and wrap them INSIDE OUT around the eggs (the outside bright pattern should be against the egg) as tight as you can without crushing them. Secure with a twistie or kitchen twine at the top. Try to get the silk as flat as you can against the egg.



Step 3. Cut 100% white cotton (sheet, pillow case, cloth) into squares and wrap each egg again and secure tightly with a twistie or kitchen twine at the top.



Step 4. Gently place eggs in one layer standing up in a pot, cover with water plus a 1/2 inch, add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.



Step 5. Take eggs out gently and set on paper towels to cool completely, about 20 minutes. You’re going to want to peek, but resist the urge and let the color set. You’ll be glad you did.



Step 6. The Unveil! Unwrap the eggs and gently pat dry with a paper towel. Rub with vegetable oil to make them shiny and the colors come alive.

Make Jewelry Using Your Favorite Photos

Remember Shrinky Dinks? They were sheets of plastic film you could draw on, cut out, and bake into a shrunken solid piece of plastic.
The original Shrinky Dink is no longer on the market, but now there's something even better: Inkjet printable shrink plastic!

Print your own photos, snapshots, or fine art pictures onto a plastic sheet, watch them shrink in the oven, and then create some unique pendants, earrings, or key chains!

They're great accessories, but also make an excellent gift for a friend or family member.

What You Need:

• Inkjet printable shrink plastic (available at most major craft stores or online)
• Oven or convection toaster oven
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Earring wires, necklace chains, string, key rings (available at craft stores)

What to Do:

1. Find a photo on your computer that your child wants to turn into a piece of jewelry. It could be anything from a family photo, a picture of a family pet, or a piece of artwork your child made.
2. Print the photo onto a piece of the Inkjet printable shrink plastic. Be sure the photo is about 2 to 3 times larger than you want for the final piece; once you shrink the image, it will be 1/2 to 1/3 of the original print-out. Print as many images you can fit on one sheet to conserve the shrink plastic.
3. As you wait for the ink to dry, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
4. Help your child cut out the images. You can either cut around the outline of the shape or leave a border.
5. Punch a hole in the images that will be used for earrings, necklaces, or key rings.
6. Place a piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet
7. Arrange the cut-outs on the cookie sheet and be sure that none of the edges are touching.
8. Watch your pictures shrink as they bake for 2-5 minutes! They will curl and uncurl, but if they still need some flattening after 5 minutes, press on them gently while they're still hot with a metal spatula.
9. Let the pictures cool, then add the earring wires, chains, string, or key ring and voila! You have your own handmade personalized accessories!

SOURCE: Education.com
Article by Kris Vagner