Spring is bursting forth, the days are getting longer, and there’s a definite buzz in the air – it must be nearly Easter! This is such a wonderful time for families to get together, celebrate renewal, and, of course, get crafty. Engaging kids in Easter-themed crafts isn’t just about keeping little hands busy; it’s about creating memories, fostering creativity, and decorating your home with unique, handmade treasures. From fluffy bunnies and cheerful chicks to the classic fun of egg decorating, there are endless possibilities. So, gather your supplies, maybe put down some newspaper (because, let’s be honest, crafting can get gloriously messy!), and let’s hop into some fun Easter craft ideas.
Bouncing Bunny Creations
What’s Easter without a bunny? These floppy-eared friends are iconic symbols of the season and provide fantastic inspiration for crafts suitable for various age groups.
Paper Plate Bunnies
This is a classic for a reason – it’s simple, uses basic materials, and the results are instantly recognizable and adorable. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
What you’ll need: Paper plates (the sturdy kind work best), pink and white construction paper or cardstock, googly eyes, cotton balls, child-safe scissors, glue stick or PVA glue, black marker or crayon.
How to make them:
- Start with the paper plate as the bunny’s face.
- Cut out two long oval shapes from the white paper for the outer ears and two slightly smaller pink ovals for the inner ears. Glue the pink pieces onto the white ones.
- Attach the completed ears to the top back of the paper plate.
- Stick on two googly eyes.
- Cut out small white rectangles for teeth and glue them near the bottom edge of the plate.
- Use the black marker to draw a nose (an upside-down triangle works well) and whiskers extending outwards.
- For a fluffy tail (optional, if you want a full-body look or just a fun addition), glue a cotton ball onto the back bottom of the plate.
Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies
Don’t toss those empty cardboard tubes! They make the perfect base for standing bunny figures. This is a great recycling craft.
What you’ll need: Empty toilet paper or kitchen paper rolls (cut in half), paint (white, pink, or any colour you fancy!), paintbrush, construction paper (matching your paint colour and pink), googly eyes, glue, black marker, pom-poms or cotton balls.
How to make them:
- First, paint the cardboard tubes your desired bunny colour and let them dry completely.
- While they dry, cut out ear shapes from the matching construction paper and smaller inner ear shapes from the pink paper. Glue these together.
- Once the tube is dry, glue the ears inside the top edge of the roll.
- Attach googly eyes to the front.
- Draw a nose and whiskers with the black marker.
- Glue a small pom-pom or cotton ball onto the back for a tail.
No-Sew Sock Bunnies
These are incredibly charming and require no sewing skills, making them accessible for older kids (with some adult help for the tying parts) or for adults to make as gifts.
What you’ll need: A clean sock (baby or kid socks work well for smaller bunnies, adult socks for larger ones), uncooked rice or dried lentils/beans for filling, rubber bands or string, ribbon, felt scraps or permanent markers for the face, scissors.
How to make them:
- Fill the foot part of the sock with rice or your chosen filling until you have a plump body shape. Don’t overfill!
- Secure the top tightly with a rubber band or piece of string.
- About a third of the way down from the top rubber band, cinch the sock again with another rubber band to create the head shape.
- The remaining fabric above the head will become the ears. Cut this fabric straight down the middle, stopping just above the head’s rubber band.
- Shape the two cut sections into ears, perhaps trimming them slightly to round the tops.
- Tie a ribbon around the ‘neck’ (the rubber band between the head and body) to hide the band and add a decorative touch.
- Draw on a face with markers or cut out small felt shapes for eyes and a nose and glue them on.
Chirpy Chick Crafts
Equally symbolic of spring and new life, little yellow chicks add a cheerful touch to Easter decorations. Here are some ways to bring them to life.
Fluffy Pom-Pom Chicks
Who can resist a fluffy pom-pom? These are tactile and utterly adorable.
What you’ll need: Yellow yarn, pom-pom makers (or cardboard templates), orange felt or craft foam, small googly eyes, craft glue, scissors.
How to make them:
- Make two yellow pom-poms using your preferred method – one slightly larger for the body, one smaller for the head. Keep the tying strings long on each.
- Trim the pom-poms to make them dense and round.
- Use the long tying strings to tie the two pom-poms tightly together. Trim the excess string.
- Cut out tiny diamond shapes from the orange felt/foam for beaks. Fold them in half and glue them onto the head pom-pom.
- Cut out small feet shapes from the orange felt/foam and glue them to the bottom of the body pom-pom.
- Attach small googly eyes above the beak.
Handprint Chicks Keepsake
Capture a moment in time with this sweet craft that uses your child’s handprint as the base.
What you’ll need: Yellow washable paint, paper or cardstock (blue or green works well for background), paintbrush, orange marker or crayon, black marker, googly eyes (optional).
How to make them:
- Paint your child’s palm and fingers (not the thumb) with yellow paint.
- Carefully press their hand onto the paper, fingers pointing upwards or sideways. The palm forms the chick’s body, and the fingers become the feathers.
- Let the paint dry completely.
- Once dry, use the orange marker to draw a small beak on the ‘palm’ area and little legs sticking out from the bottom.
- Use the black marker to draw an eye, or glue on a googly eye.
Egg Decorating Extravaganza
No Easter crafting session is complete without decorating eggs! Whether you use real boiled eggs, blown-out eggshells, or craft eggs (wooden, plastic, ceramic), the possibilities are endless.
Classic Dyeing Techniques
The traditional method often involves fizzy tablets or liquid food colouring mixed with vinegar and water. It’s a classic for a reason!
Tips for success:
- Use hard-boiled eggs that have cooled completely.
- Add about a teaspoon of white vinegar to each colour bath – it helps the colour adhere better to the shell.
- Use tongs or slotted spoons to lower and raise eggs gently to avoid cracks.
- Experiment with dipping half the egg in one colour and the other half in another, or using rubber bands or wax crayons to create resist patterns before dyeing.
- Natural Dyes: For a different approach, try simmering eggs with natural ingredients like onion skins (yellow/brown), turmeric (bright yellow), beetroot (pink/red), or red cabbage (blue!). Results can be beautifully subtle and unique.
Painting and Embellishing
Move beyond dyeing with paints and decorations.
Ideas:
- Acrylic Paints: Offer vibrant colours and good coverage. Best used on craft eggs or blown-out shells as they aren’t food safe for boiled eggs you intend to eat.
- Washable Paints: A safer bet for younger kids working with boiled eggs. The colours might be less intense but cleanup is easier.
- Markers: Permanent markers work well for drawing intricate designs.
- Stickers & Washi Tape: A fantastic mess-free option! Use small Easter-themed stickers or cut strips of patterned washi tape to decorate the eggs.
- Nature’s Touch: Glue small pressed flowers, leaves, or tiny twigs onto eggs for a beautiful, natural look. Apply a thin layer of decoupage glue (like Mod Podge) over the top to seal them.
- Glitter: Apply glue where you want sparkle, then sprinkle on the glitter (preferably over a tray!). Seal with a spray sealant or decoupage glue if desired.
Safety First! Always supervise children during craft activities, especially when using scissors, hot glue guns (low-temp recommended), or small items like googly eyes that could be choking hazards for very young children. If dyeing edible hard-boiled eggs, ensure all dyes and materials used are food-safe. Remember to wash hands before and after crafting, particularly when handling real eggs.
More Spring Celebration Art
Expand your Easter crafting beyond just bunnies, chicks, and eggs to embrace the broader themes of spring.
Tissue Paper Flower Collage
Celebrate spring blooms with colourful tissue paper.
How to: Cut or tear tissue paper in various colours (pinks, yellows, purples, greens). Draw simple flower shapes or stems on a piece of cardstock. Apply glue stick or liquid glue to sections and have kids stick crumpled or flat pieces of tissue paper to create vibrant flowers and leaves. It’s great for developing fine motor skills.
Fingerprint Spring Scenes
Use fingerprints to create charming little elements in a spring picture.
How to: Draw a simple background (maybe some grass and a tree trunk). Let kids dip their fingertips into washable paint – green for leaves on the tree, various colours for blossoms, yellow for little chicks, pink for bunny noses, blue for raindrops, etc. Add details with markers once the paint is dry.
Salt Dough Ornaments
Create lasting keepsakes with simple salt dough.
Basic Recipe: Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of table salt. Gradually add about 3/4 cup of water, mixing until a dough forms (adjust water as needed). Knead briefly on a floured surface.
How to: Roll out the dough (about 1/4 inch thick). Use Easter-themed cookie cutters (bunnies, eggs, chicks, flowers) to cut out shapes. Use a straw to make a hole at the top if you want to hang them as ornaments. Bake on a baking sheet at a low temperature (around 120C / 250F) for 2-3 hours, or until hard (baking time depends on thickness). Let cool completely, then paint and decorate with acrylic paints, glitter, and markers. Seal with varnish or decoupage glue for longevity.
Tips for Happy Crafting
Crafting with kids should be fun, not stressful. Here are a few tips:
- Prepare Ahead: Gather all supplies before you call the kids over. Pre-cut tricky shapes for younger children if needed.
- Protect Surfaces: Cover your table with newspaper, a plastic tablecloth, or a craft mat.
- Dress for Mess: Put kids (and maybe yourself!) in old clothes or aprons.
- Focus on Process, Not Perfection: Encourage creativity and experimentation. It doesn’t matter if the bunny looks wonky or the colours are unconventional – it’s their creation!
- Offer Choices: Provide different colours, materials, and techniques to let them personalize their crafts.
- Keep it Age-Appropriate: Choose crafts that match your child’s developmental stage and fine motor skills. Simplify steps for younger kids, offer more complex options for older ones.
- Embrace the Imperfect: Handmade charm often lies in the little imperfections. Treasure these unique creations.
- Clean Up Together: Make cleanup part of the activity (as much as possible!).
Easter crafting is a fantastic way to channel the excitement of the season into tangible, creative expression. Whether you make a family of sock bunnies, a dozen uniquely decorated eggs, or a simple handprint chick, the time spent together making something special is the real prize. So, clear the table, unleash the glitter (if you dare!), and have a wonderfully crafty Easter!
