Decoupage Easter Eggs

Easter is almost here and it's time to do a little spring decorating. Making Easter eggs is always fun and like try out a new technique for creating them each year. 

This year I made decoupage eggs using tissue paper and paper dinner napkins.

This is an easy project, but a little messy, so when I say easy, I don't mean a project you might want to try to do with the kids. You are likely to have sticky fingers and Mod Podge everywhere!

To make this rose covered eggs I used tissue paper that I found at the Dollar store (the kind of tissue wrapping paper that is generally used to stuff gift bags).

For this project you will need:

• tissue paper or paper napkins 

• scissors

• a brush for applying the Mod Podge

• a flat sided brush

• Mod Podge

• styrofoam eggs

• Varathane (I used a latex, Satin finish Varathane that cleans up with water)

Here is the only tricky part: Most tissue paper and Japanese paper napkins are perfect for decoupage. Dinner napkins are however, 2-ply and are composed of two thin layers of paper bonded together. For decoupage, the thiner the paper the better. Fine sheets of paper allow the edges of your cutout motifs to blend into one another better. So to begin, you want to pull apart the two layers of paper on any dinner napkins you might want to use. 

Start in the corner and work the 2 plys separate with your nails. Once you have worked the 2 pieces apart in the corner, it should be easy to pull the two sheets of paper apart.

Keep the 1-ply with your floral motif and discard the 1-ply of plain backing.

Cut out pieces of the decorative motif you've selected with your scissors.

Apply some Mod Podge to the side of your styrofoam egg with a brush. 

Place your cut out floral motif on the egg and work it flat into the wet Mod Podge using your fingers or a flat sided brush.

Apply further pieces until your egg is covered with flowers. Don't worry about the overlapping pieces of paper. This decoupage method is very forgiving and the edges disappear.

One last step! Finish one half of the surface of your eggs at a time with the latex Varathane. You can skip this final step if you don't want bother, but making the extra effort to finish the eggs will allow you to wipe them off with a damp cloth if they get dusty.

To make my little egg arrangement, I filled a little blue bowl with wood shavings and then placed a white chocolate bunny in the centre. To hold him upright, I surrounded him with foil wrapped chocolate Easter eggs. 

I tied a bow around the bunny's neck, added my decoupage eggs and a few faux apple blossoms.

 I used a Japanese paper cocktail napkin to make this butterfly egg. 

The hyacinths in my floral arrangement are real, but the lily of the valley are faux flowers.

The Japanese paper was very thin, so it was great to work with. I picked up the bird nest 

from Michael's Craft Store.

Next I tried using a dinner napkin with roses and blue butterflies.

 The two white ceramic Easter bunnies were found at Walmart for under $10 each. 

I dressed them up with blue bows. 

I've has some really pretty blue and white dinner napkins stashed away in the back of the cupboard for years. 

I figured this was the perfect time to dig them out and do something creative with them.

Boxed up with a pretty bow, I thought they might make a nice gift.

By the way, these pale pink and mauve hyacinths smelled positively divine!

Happy Spring decorating!

Bluebird and Red Berry Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• dogwood branches of assorted lengths 

• 3 clip-on bluejays and 3 tiny bluebirds

• birdhouse ornament

• spool of blue satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your store bought wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length)

Take some white craft paint and dry brushed "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Removed the rope hanger from a little cardboard birdhouse ornament, poke a hole in the bottom and inserted a florist's pic. Add a dab of hot glue to secure the pic onto the birdhouse. 

Then insert the birdhouse pic into the wreath and allowed it to catch in the evergreen mix.

 Clip 3 bluejays and 3 little bluebirds onto the dogwood and berry branches. 

(Keeping it real- these little birds are not meant for high winds and rain. Your wreath will need to be hung indoors or in a sheltered location like a porch or on the inside of a screen door.)

Make a bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut hanging your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Fruit and Berries Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red and faux orange berry branches (I used one large branch of each)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• faux mini red and yellow mini-apples (found at Michaels craft store)

• spool of red satin ribbon (4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length)

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow and red mini-apples (I found mini-apples at Michaels craft store). 

Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it for a minute or so until the glue sets.

Insert the finished apple pics into the wreath. 

Make a bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Berries & White Roses Evergreen Wreath

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• faux stem of white forsythia (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of white silk roses (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of pearl berries (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of glittery gold eucalyptus (found at Michaels craft store)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length

• 6 pinecones

• spool of white satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs and red berries sprigs into the wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

I bought one large stem of white silk roses and a stem of white forsythia at Michaels. I cut the large stem into a number of shorter branches and inserted these branches into my wreath. 

I did the same for a stem of pearl berries and glittery gold eucalyptus- cutting one large stem into several smaller branches.

Finally, I fastened a white bow with some florist's wire. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Ladybug Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• Faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• gold glitter branches of assorted lengths 

• ladybugs (I got mine at the Dollar Store.)

• spool of plaid ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

Insert some boxwood sprigs and gold glitter branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length) Add them into the wreath.

Finally, take a single large stem of glittery eucalyptus (Michaels craft store) and cut it into a number of shorter branches. Insert them into your wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Take a ladybug and apply a dab of hot glue onto the back. Place the ladybug on one of the gold branches. Hold it for a few seconds until the hot glue has set. Continue to add more ladybugs around the circumference of the wreath.

Make a plaid bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. I also tied in a few in bells.

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Partridge and Pear Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• feathers

• clip-on partridge or similar type bird (Michaels)

• mini faux pears

• spool of red satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length.) Add them to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow mini-pears. Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it in place for a minute or so until the glue sets. 

Insert the finished pears pics into the wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to attach the pinecones to the wreath.

Clip your partridge onto your wreath.

Gather two or three feathers together in your fingers. 

Hold them at the top of a florist's pic and wrap the fine wire around and around to create a feather pic. 

Insert several feather pics around the circumference of the wreath. 

Make a red bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire on your bow with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)