Easter is around the corner and egg prices are still at an all-time high. Instead of dyeing eggs this spring, try these fun and budget-friendly Easter crafts that the whole family can enjoy!
You may already have some of these materials at home. If not, you can buy them at affordable prices from places like Walmart, dollar stores, and craft stores. Several of these projects also share the same supplies, so you can use your leftover materials to try out multiple creations. Unlike dyed eggs, which spoil and get tossed, you can store and reuse these crafts for many Easters to come!
These ideas have been tried and tested by your friends at Charlotte on the Cheap. Have questions? Feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get to you as soon as possible!
Pro tip: get bargains by shopping at Upcycle Arts!
Easter Suncatchers
Light up your home with colorful Easter-themed suncatchers! The tissue paper glows so beautifully in the spring sunshine and resembles stained glass. You can tape them to the window or hang them up with some string so they can catch some rays.
Materials:
- clear contact paper OR clear packing tape and wax paper
- optional: a stencil
- brightly colored tissue paper
- permanent marker
- scissors
- double-sided tape OR hole puncher and string
Directions:
- Cut out a sheet of clear contact paper or set up your packing tape alternative by layering tape (sticky-side down) on top of wax paper with a bit of overlap between each strip of tape.
- With your permanent marker, draw the outline of your suncatcher shape on the glossy side of the contact paper/tape. You can freehand your shape or print out/draw a stencil on paper to trace instead. We went with an egg stencil, but other shapes like rabbits or flowers could be fun too!
- Cut or tear your tissue paper into small shapes.
- Remove the backing from your contact paper or peel the wax paper from your tape. With the sticky side up, start filling in your shape with pieces of tissue paper. Overlap the tissue paper over any gaps and over the edges of the outline to fill in the shape.
- When you’re done placing your tissue paper, stick another layer of contact paper/tape on top to cover the shape.
- Cut out the shape. We left in the Sharpie outline to create the illusion of a frame.
- You can stick your suncatcher to your window with double-sided tape, or you can use a hole puncher and string to hang them up near the window instead. So pretty!
Yarn Eggs
These yarn eggs are so neat and you can adapt them for other creative uses too! You could put candy inside the eggs or clues for a scavenger hunt; you could string the eggs up into a garland or hang them as ornaments; you could cut a hole into the eggs to make a cute holder for Easter treats and decorations like fake tea lights—the possibilities are endless!
IMPORTANT: Make the eggs a day or two in advance to allow for drying time.
Materials:
- yarn (pastel colors recommended)
- water balloons or small balloons
- glue
- water
- a disposable container
- scissors
- cardboard, newspaper, or paper plates
- clips for hanging
- tweezers
Directions:
- Blow up your balloons into an egg-like shape.
- Note: If you’d like, you can put some small candies into the balloons before you blow them up!
- Mix glue and water (ratio of 2:1) in a disposable container. Since the glue can get messy, we recommend protecting your workspace by laying something down to catch any glue.
- Cut a really long piece of yarn (we cut strands somewhere between 10-12 feet for a 5-inch balloon) and release it into the glue mixture. Try to avoid tangles. Leave an end of the yarn out of the container so you don’t lose it. Fully submerge the yarn in the glue to saturate it thoroughly.
- Grab the end of the yarn and dip it in the glue. Wrap the yarn around the balloon’s knot once or twice to anchor the yarn. Start wrapping the yarn around the balloon, gently squeezing out any excess glue with your fingers as you go. Ensure the yarn is taut so it doesn’t slip.
- Note: In the early stages of wrapping, we found it easiest to wrap up and down the balloon to make a framework of sorts before wrapping in different directions.
- When you get to the end of your yarn, tuck the end under a nearby strand. If your yarn structure has sizeable gaps or doesn’t seem sturdy, cut a new piece of yarn and repeat the process, wrapping the new piece in areas that need attention.
- When you’re done wrapping, it’s time to hang it to dry. We used a clothespin and some string to hang it up by the balloon knot. Place something under the balloons to catch the dripping glue.
- Let your balloons dry for at least 24 hours. The glue needs to be completely dry, or else the yarn structure will collapse.
- When the yarn is fully dry, pop the balloons. Use tweezers or scissors to remove the balloon if it gets stuck.
- Enjoy your adorable yarn eggs!
Potato Easter Egg Stamps
Got some extra potatoes lying around? Carve them into Easter egg stamps! We used ours with some fabric paint and an old t-shirt to create festive Easter shirts, but with the right paint and materials, you could use your stamps for all sorts of projects! You could make tablecloths, posters, banners, hats, hand towels—the limit is your imagination!
Materials:
- white potatoes
- a sharp knife
- paper towels
- paint (acrylic or fabric paint)
- an item to decorate (we chose old t-shirts)
- paint brushes
- paper plates
Directions:
- Cut your potatoes in half so that the cross-section is egg-shaped. Pat dry the face of the potato with a paper towel.
- Carefully carve your designs into the potato with a sharp knife. When you’re done, dry the potato stamp thoroughly so the paint can stick.
- Pour your paints onto a palette (we used paper plates) and brush the paint to your potatoes with your paint brushes. Once you’ve got a thick layer of paint, stamp your potato! Repeat as many times as desired. You can touch up any patchy areas with your paint brushes.
- Once you’re done stamping, allow your paint to dry. Enjoy your new festive decorations!
Secret Design Watercolor Eggs
Is one of your favorite parts of dyeing eggs using crayons to draw on designs? You can do the same thing with some watercolors! Enjoy the satisfying feeling of seeing your patterns revealed by the watercolor paint.
Materials:
- watercolor paint
- white crayons or oil pastels
- white cardstock paper or watercolor paper
- paintbrushes
- permanent marker
- bowl with water
- scissors (optional)
Directions:
- Draw an egg onto your paper with a permanent marker. To make things easy, you can print out or create a stencil to trace onto your paper.
- Draw your designs using your white crayon/oil pastel. Use firm pressure and go over the same area a few times to ensure the wax deposits.
- Grab your watercolors, brushes, and bowl of water and get to painting! Play around with different brush sizes and strokes to create your unique egg. Watch your designs reveal themselves almost like magic!
- Allow your paintings to dry and admire your handiwork! Once dry, you can cut out the eggs if desired.
Easter Egg Ornaments
Unleash your creativity with these highly customizable Easter egg ornaments! Mix up the colors and patterns on your paper to create unique designs for each side of the ornament.
Materials:
- construction paper (plain white or colorful)
- coloring utensils (colored pencils, markers, crayons, pastels, etc.)
- pencil
- glue or glue stick
- scissors
- yarn
- pony beads
Directions:
- Create an egg template. You can freehand one by drawing half of an egg on the creased edge of a folded sheet of paper and cutting it out to create a symmetrical egg shape. If you have access to a printer, you can print out an egg template instead. We freehanded ours to be about 3 inches long.
- Use your template to trace egg shapes onto your paper. You will need 4 eggs to make an ornament, but we recommend tracing more so you can experiment with your designs!
- Draw and color in your designs with your preferred coloring utensils (colored pencils, markers, crayons, pastels, etc.). Get creative!
- Cut out your 4 egg shapes and gently fold them in half lengthwise so the design is folded in on itself.
- Note: Be careful, as some coloring materials may smudge.
- Glue one flap of a folded egg to another. Be sure the edges line up when you stick them together. This is half of the egg ornament. Repeat with the remaining two folded eggs to create the other half.
- Cut a length of yarn and tie the ends together into a knot. You may need to double or triple-knot your yarn because the knot needs to be large enough to hold your bead. Once tied together, the loop of yarn should be at least a couple of inches longer than the length of your egg to leave room for hanging.
- Thread a bead onto your yarn so that the bead rests against the knot.
- Lay the yarn in the center of one of your ornament halves. The beaded end should sit beneath the bottom of your ornament.
- Glue both halves of your ornament together, sandwiching your yarn between them.
- Gently pull the yarn from the top so that the bead is flush against the bottom of your ornament. Thread another bead to sit on top of your ornament.
- Hang and enjoy your beautiful ornament!
No-Sew Sock Bunnies
Hop into the Easter spirit with this no-sew sock bunny! Perfect for kids and adults alike, this no-fuss craft makes for a sweet handmade addition to any Easter basket. All you need is some rice and rubber bands and you can turn your spare socks into adorable bunny friends!
Materials:
- a long sock with no holes (crew socks recommended)
- uncooked rice
- rubber bands
- scissors
- marker
- optional: ribbons
Directions:
- Fill your socks with rice. The amount you need will depend on the size of your socks. We filled ours to just under the heel of the sock.
- Using rubber bands, tie off a head and tail shape for your bunny. Make sure the rubber bands are tight to prevent any rice from falling out. There should be plenty of excess sock at the top of your bunny’s head.
- Cut the excess sock to your preferred length for the ears then cut it down the middle so it’s in two pieces.
- Trim the two pieces into ear shapes.
- Bring your Easter sock bunnies to life! You can draw faces on them with marker and give them some fashionable Easter flair with decorative ribbons. Add your new bunny friend to your Easter baskets or keep them out to enjoy as a toy or a decoration!
Egg Maracas
Bring some rhythm into your home this Easter with these fun maracas made from leftover plastic egg shells. This is a great craft for young kids and music lovers alike!
Materials:
- plastic Easter egg shell
- plastic spoons
- filler (rice, popcorn kernels, beans, beads, etc.)
- patterned washi tape or duct tape
- scissors
- (optional) colorful permanent markers
Directions:
- Pour some of your preferred filler medium (we went with rice) into your plastic egg. Fill the egg about a quarter of the way and then close it up.
- Tape your egg shut along the seam to prevent spillage.
- Place your egg between two plastic spoons, tape the egg to the spoons, and tape the ends of the spoon handles together.
- Note: If you’re using a solid color tape (especially white), it can be fun to use some colorful Sharpies to customize your maracas!
- Shake it up and enjoy your quick and easy instrument!
Easter Egg Painted Rocks
Go searching for some rocks to paint and turn your Easter Sunday into a fun outdoor excursion! These Easter egg painted rocks are durable and festive keepsakes that you can use for many years to come. All you need is an egg-like rock and some paint!
Materials:
- rocks (find ones with an egg-like shape)
- white acrylic paint
- pastel acrylic paints
- paint brushes (medium to paint whole rock, small ones for details)
- optional: q tips and makeup sponges
- Modge Podge (glossy or outdoor)
- paper plates
- container of water
Directions:
- Find some egg-shaped rocks. We went on a walk and found ours outside, but you can also buy some decorative rocks for reasonable prices from stores like Walmart or Target if you’re in a pinch.
- Set up your painting station. A paper plate and a cup of water to put your paint brushes in is all you need.
- Coat your rock in two layers of white acrylic paint to make your base. If your rock is already white, this step is optional but recommended. Let the paint dry.
- Using your colorful acrylic paints, paintbrushes, and other tools like Q-Tips, paint your egg how you like! You may need to allow for drying time in-between layers of paint.
- Note: To make the most of your time, you can work on two rocks at once. That way, while one rock is drying, you can work on the other.
- Once done with your design, let it dry all the way before applying a layer or two of Modge Podge. We used the glossy version of Modge Podge to give it that shiny look. If you’d like to put your rocks outside, we recommend getting the outdoor Modge Podge for its weather resistance.
- Show off your cool Easter rocks!
Surprise Chick Paper Craft
Surprise your friends with this baby chick paper craft puppet! This simple and cutesy DIY is great for young kids and only takes a few supplies to make. Decorate the egg and watch your chick pop out as it hatches!
Materials:
- construction paper (we used white, yellow, and orange)
- scissors
- coloring utensils (markers, coloring pencils, and crayons work best)
- popsicle sticks
- tape or glue
Directions:
- Cut out two identical egg shapes using a stencil (we freehanded ours, but you can print one out instead). Draw your designs on one of the egg shapes, leaving the other one blank. When you’re done coloring the egg, cut it into two pieces using a zig-zag line.
- Using tape or glue, attach the bottom half of the colored egg to the blank egg. Apply your tape or glue only on the sides, leaving the top and bottom of the eggshell unattached. This will make a pocket for the chick puppet.
- Cut out a body shape and two wings for your chick. You can also cut out a beak if you don’t want to draw one on. Glue/tape all the pieces together and attach a popsicle stick to its back. You can draw eyes and other details onto your chick using your coloring utensils.
- Note: Make sure your puppet is smaller than your egg so it can fit. If it’s too wide, you can trim it down a bit with scissors.
- Using your tape or glue, attach the other part of the eggshell to the top of the chick’s head. Then you should be able to slide the puppet, popsicle stick first, down into the pocket you made earlier. The eggshell will appear to close as the chick puppet hides in the bottom of the egg.
- Enjoy watching your chick peek in and out of the egg you made for them!
Easter Bunny Garland
Bring some Easter cheer to your home by making these paper Easter Bunny Garlands! You can use any kind of paper—plain white, colorful, patterned, pages from an old book, etc.—to create a garland that suits your home’s aesthetic. Or, you could even color and draw on your bunnies to give it that extra layer of handmade charm!
Materials:
- paper of your choice
- bunny stencil
- optional: coloring utensils
- pencil
- white pompoms or cotton balls
- hot glue gun
- string or yarn
- scissors
- optional: hole puncher
Directions:
- Print out or make your bunny stencil and use it to trace bunnies on your paper with your pencil. We traced 11 for our garland, but you can make as many as you’d like.
- Cut out the bunnies and hole punch their ears. If you don’t have a hole puncher, you can fold down the tips of the bunny ears and use your scissors to cut a small hole in the center of the folded edge instead. Try to make the holes level with each other.
- Hot glue your white pompoms or cotton balls onto the bunny to make the bunny tail.
- String up your bunnies and hang them wherever you’d like!
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