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Hanging crackled metallic and sparkle Easter eggs

I have a little twig tree in my foyer where I try and hang ornaments from each season.  I just took off the coins from St. Patty’s Day and now it is time to hang the Easter eggs.  Each year the eggs are unique.  2014 is the year for the crackled sparkle/metallic eggs.  Each egg is base coated in either sparkle or metallic acrylic paint.  Then it gets fun! When the basecoat is dry we apply the crackle finish and pastel color that allows the metallic or sparkle paint to peek through. Finish with a gorgeous Bowdabra mini bow and hang on the tree.  Wanna make some too?  Follow along with the easy tutorial.

You will need:

Paper mache Easter eggs (Available in craft stores in packs of six)

Metallic or sparkle acrylic paint in desired colors

Various pastel acrylic paints

Crackle medium

Small paintbrush

Disposable wooden barbeque skewers

Awl or nail

Acrylic gloss finish

Thin ribbon

Scissors

Tacky craft glue

Paper plates to use as a disposable palette

Waxed paper to cover work surface

Vase or container to hold the eggs while drying

For the Bowdabra bow you will need:

Ribbon

Bowdabra mini hair bowmaker with ruler

Bowdabra bow wire

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1.     Make a hole in the bottom (wider end of the eggs) with a small awl or nail.  Insert a barbeque skewer in the hole.  You will use the barbeque skewer to hold the eggs while you paint and crackle them.  Afterwards you can stand them up in a vase or container to dry.

2.     Using a small paintbrush brush a coat of metallic or sparkle acrylic paint on the entire egg and let dry.  Repeat with a second coat.

3.     Using the crackle medium brush a thin coat of medium on the dried egg covering completely and let dry for 20-30 minutes.  Do not dry completely.  The medium will be slightly tacky.

4.     Immediately brush on a coat of pastel acrylic paint in a corresponding color.  Vary the direction of the brush.  The direction will determine how the crackles look.  Do not over brush.  Set the egg aside and let dry.  In a few minutes you will see crackles forming.

5.     When the egg is completely dry apply a coat of gloss acrylic finish and let dry. Be creative and make several color eggs or make them all the same.  I like to vary the base coats and top coats.

6.     Remove the skewer.  Cut a 6-inch piece of thin ribbon. Add a dab of tacky glue on the end of the egg with the hole and using the skewer push both ends of the ribbon into the hole one at a time to form a loop.  Let the glue dry.

Make the Bowdabra bow

1.     Gather your supplies.  Cut ten inches of Bowdabra bow wire, fold in half and insert into the mini Bowdabra.

2.     Cut about 10 inches of ½” wide gold wired ribbon and place in the Mini Bowdabra to create a 1 ½” tail.  Next fold the ribbon to form a loop at the 1” mark.

3.     Fold a matching loop on the other side and end with a 1 ½” tail.  (If you have extra ribbon you can trim it off)

4.     Scrunch the ribbon with the mini Bowdabra wand. Take the tails through the loop and pull tight.  Remove the bow from the Bowdabra and tie a knot.

5.     Fold the end in half and cut at an angle to make a pointed tail. Repeat with opposite end. Fluff up your bow and trim off the excess bow wire and use a hot glue gun to attach to the top of the egg.

Note:  Don't have a twig tree?  It's easy to make one.  Get a terra cotta pot fill it with aquarium gravel and insert a medium piece of a tree with several thin branches. Remove any leaves and hang your eggs.

Dollar bill origami mini pot of gold

What do you like to do for St. Patrick’s Day?  Do you eat corned beef and cabbage?  Do you wear your lucky green?  Well I don’t know anything that is greener than than a dollar bill so why don’t you surprise the kids and fold it into a cute little container (aka pot of gold) that will hold a quarter quite nicely. It doesn’t stand but you can lean it upright or just hold it in the palm of your hand. Make sure you use a crisp dollar bill and I like to use a butter knife or popsicle stick to run over the creases to make them sharp. Although I made mine for St. Patrick's Day, these little quarter holders are perfect any time of the year!  

You will need:

Dollar bill (Crisp one)

Quarter

Butter knife or popsicle stick

1.     Fold the dollar bill in half from left to right.  Note: Run a butter knife or popsicle stick over all the folds to make sure the creases are sharp.

2.     Fold the open edge border area including just a bit of the green. (See photo)

3.     Fold from one corner to the other to make a triangle shape. Turn so the point is facing up.

4.     Fold down one corner to make a crease and open back up.

5.     Fold one corner over to the left using the crease line as a guide.

6.     Fold the opposite side over to the right side.

7.     Fold one flap of the top point down, and repeat with the flap on the other side

8.     Squeeze with your fingers to open up the container.  Push the bottom in with your finger to flare it out a bit.  Insert a quarter and your done!

Recycled champagne cork sunflower chunky necklace tutorial

If you’ve made the sunflower champagne cork earrings you may want a necklace to match.  Simply use a disc made in the same way as the earrings.  Be sure to paint both sides with the sunflower and then follow these instructions to make a cute chunky statement necklace to match.  Your jewelry will be sure to start conversations on conservation of the environment.  After all what is better than jewelry made from recycled items?

You will need:

Sunflower painted recycled cork medallion Recycled cork sunflower tutorial click here

Jewelry findings (2 inch eye pins, fish hook ear wires, jump rings, and lobster claw clasp) I found them all in a convenient pack in a distressed copper color

Large link chain (I found one which came in a length of 54 inches in the same copper color as the findings.)

Wooden beads in the color of your choice

Green glass E beads that will not go through the hole of the wooden beads

Round nosed pliers

Needle nosed pliers

Wire cutters

1.    Gather your supplies. Follow the instructions for cutting and painting your sunflower medallion. (Click on the link above) Make sure you paint it on both sides.

2.     Use a nail or awl to make the hole going through the disc wide enough for your eye pin to go all the way through.  Add a green E bead on the eye pin and insert through the cork.  Add another E bead on the protruding eye pin.  Cut the eye pin shorter with wire cutters and using the round nosed pliers bend to the left and then around to the right to form a loop to close.  You will have a cork bead with small loops on each end. (See photo)

3.     Repeat the steps to add the eye pin to one of the wooden beads and E beads.  Open a jump ring by twisting rather than pulling open and attach a bead to one side of the cork disc.  Repeat with the other bead.  (See photo)

4.     Repeat with two more wooden beads and attach with jump rings as you did in step #3. You will have the cork medallion in the center and two wooden beads with E Beads on each side (See photo)

5.     Cut two lengths of chain about 9 inches by opening the links.  It is easiest to measure the two chains exactly the same by counting the links.  Mine was exactly 45 links for each chain.

6.     Open the end of one chain link with the both pliers and attach to the loop on the last wooden bead.  Close the link. Repeat for other side with the other chain.  (See photo)

7.     To finish your chunky necklace Open one chain link on one side and attach the lobster claw clasp.  Use it to open and close your necklace.