With Spring midterms and the Easter season coinciding, you may want to use this lovely time at home with the kids for family crafts and decorative DIY.

We’ve also aimed for the most sustainable nature-loving options for a guilt-free family pastime.

1.   Seed Paper Easter Eggs:

This little project at HandmadeCharlotte.com encourages an alternative Easter egg gift idea – created from seed paper that kids can later plant in the garden to grow wildflowers.

It will encourage your little ones to create something for the home garden or double up as a clever gift for anyone’s spring garden. More importantly, it promotes an understanding of plants’ growth lifecycle and pollinators’ importance.

Step-by-step instructions:

Simply blend recycled paper with water to create a pulp, add wildflower seeds, and then mould the mixture into egg shapes.

1. Prepare the Paper Pulp: Tear the recycled paper into small pieces and soak them in warm water for a few hours or overnight to soften.

Transfer any excess water from the soaked paper to a blender. Add warm water to cover the paper pieces. Blend the mixture until you achieve a smooth pulp.

2. Add Seeds: Pour the pulp into a large bowl. Sprinkle your wildflower seeds into the pulp and gently mix them with your hands. Do not blend the seeds to avoid damaging them.
3. Shape the Seed Paper: Lay your screen or mesh over a sink, a bowl, or a towel to catch the water. Spoon the pulp and seed mixture onto the screen.

Place your egg-shaped cookie cutter on the screen and press the pulp within the cutter to form an egg shape. Ensure the layer is not too thick; about 1/4 inch is ideal so it dries thoroughly and evenly.

Step 6: Press a sponge on the shaped pulp to remove excess water. Carefully remove the cookie cutter and repeat the process until you’ve used all the pulp.

4. Drying: Once you’ve shaped all your seed paper Easter eggs, move the screen or mesh to a warm, dry area to allow the eggs to dry completely.

Depending on the humidity and temperature, this might take 24-48 hours. You can also place them under a gentle fan to speed up drying.

5. Planting Instructions (Optional): Plant the paper under a thin layer of soil, water gently, and ensure it has plenty of sunlight.

Shopping List for this craft project:

• Recycled paper (can use old newspapers or flyers)
• Wildflower seeds (choose native species to Ireland for best results)
• Blender
• Egg-shaped cookie cutter
• Sponge
• Water
• Screen or mesh

2. Twig Nest Decorations

This gorgeous idea will bring a bit of nature into your home decor while creating a mindful task emphasising the fragility and care we must give the living creatures in our backyard.

Create these little homemade twig nests as decorative displays containing chocolate easter eggs as part of a mantelpiece feature, hallway display or table centrepiece decoration!

Perfect as a talking point for dessert presentation at the next big Easter Sunday roast get-together!

Step-by-step instructions:

We found some great guided instructions at Craftidly.com

1. Get the kids involved! Send them out into the back garden or let them forage in the next forest walk for dry fallen twigs, straw, dried grasses, old rushes, and moss.  Use these found objects in nature to create your mini bird nests.
2. If you wish to avoid using substances such as glue, it is good enough to weave flexible twigs together or simply hot glue them into a circular shape.
3. Show the kids how to line the nests with dried leaves, moss, or shredded paper. The more natural the material, the more authentic – more stuff to forage, right?
4.  Add little felt or paper birds that the kids could cut out and colour in
5.  You could even fill the nests with colourful chocolate Easter Eggs, especially if this will be part of your showstopper dessert display after the big easter party meal.

Shopping List for this craft project:

Ideally, most, if not all, materials used will be foraged. However, you may need a few things to create a bigger centrepiece or secure their work to prevent it from falling apart. 

• Recycled paper (can use old tissue paper or natural coloured brown paper)
• A hot-glue gun – should you wish to secure twigs with glue
• Alternatively, use natural brown string to secure the frame of your nest structure
• Fabric scraps (in spring colours)
• Biodegradable glitter (optional)
• Thin metal crafting wire is used to form a basic frame or secure the shape of finished nests. It may come in handy if securing multiple nests together is a more prominent feature or if you intend to create a suspension system for hanging them.
• Scissors or garden clippers may be necessary for removing thorns, splitting twigs into thinner strips or cutting twigs down to size.

Go Natural With Easter Egg Dye

Why not ditch the chemical dyes and work with what nature gave us when colouring your Easter eggs? It is an eco-friendly alternative and a safer option, especially if you intend to eat the decorated eggs.

You can create natural dyes using the following items found in your larder. You’ll also need to add vinegar to ensure the dye adheres to the eggshell.

• Red onion skins, red wine, cranberries and beetroot for vibrant red and pink hues. Chop the beets or crush the berries before boiling them in water for 15-30 minutes, strain, and cool. Add a tablespoon of vinegar.
• Paprika and yellow onion skins will give you orange hues.
• Spinach, grass, and wild garlic leaves will provide you with lush green shades. Blend the fresh spinach or grass with water to create a liquid. Strain the liquid mixture to remove impurities and larger pieces. You can even boil the liquid to develop a more concentrated colour. Once satisfied with the shade, cool the liquor and add a tablespoon of vinegar.
• Coffee and black tea will give you various shades of brown depending on the quantity of leaves used. Brew a strong coffee or tea and cool to room temperature. There is no need to add vinegar, as the natural tannins work as a mordant.
• Hibiscus tea and red wine will yield a purple hue.
• Diluted Turmeric gives a vibrant natural yellow—but there’s a caveat: It can stain white surfaces and fabrics indelibly if you’re not careful.

Step-by-Step Instructions – How to Dye the Easter Eggs

• Prepare your Eggs by cooking them by Hard boiling them first, then letting them cool.
• Prepare the dye: Use the natural dyes separately in different containers to apply each colour.
• You can use creative methods for stencilling the eggs before dipping or apply the dyes with a paintbrush for more delicate creative designs.
• Place the eggs in the dye. For deeper colours, leave them in the dye longer, even overnight, in the refrigerator.
• Wrap the eggs in a stencilled motif, latticed paper or fabric lace, or even wrap them with a pressed flower to create patterns during dipping.
• Dry the Eggs: Once dyed to your liking, carefully remove them and let them dry on a wire rack or a towel.

Handy Tips when crafting with kids

Here are some handy tips to help you keep the house intact and facilitate a more enjoyable crafting project

• When it comes to craft projects with kids, be sure to do one first and show them pictures of the finished item. You can even use YouTube videos to help them learn before doing.
• Create the workspace outdoors on the patio or outside in the yard where they can get the most light and do the least damage to your interiors.
• Use an old tablecloth or lots of newspaper to line your worktop surface indoors, especially if it is a much-loved wooden dining table.
• Protect the kids! Ensure they have aprons or old clothes often used for these projects.
• Remove any sharp or dangerous tools once you have used them, especially if younger children are involved.