Fabric Paper Mache Eggs

I am not really a big fan of dyeing Easter eggs. Maybe it is because it is not something I grew up doing (I don't think I actually dyed my first egg until I was well into my 20s...) or maybe it is because pre-schooler + toddler + dye = colossal mess that I will spend days trying to clean up. And, plastic eggs are the bane of my existence for most of the year because they have a tendency to end up in halves all over the place, and they are really painful to step on. But, I do love the bright colors of Easter eggs and I love a good Easter egg hunt.

It was actually my hunt for a plastic egg alternative that led to the creation of the Treasure Eggs I sell in my Etsy shop, but those are fairly big and better suited for baskets than egg hunts. So, when I came across this post on the Moda Bake Shop for Bunny Eggs (fabric covered paper mache eggs) by Angela Yosten I was so excited - A project I could do with Miss M AND a solution to my plastic egg problem!

This is actually a fairly quick project, and another great one for using up fabric scraps. I went through my scrap bag and cut scraps into small pieces that were about 1" big for my daughter. For the eggs I worked on, I used some Moda Honeybun strips that I cut in half width-wise (so they were about .75" wide) and then cut those into strips that were about 2"long. I got out the Mod Podge, put down some protective coverings on our kitchen table and we were ready to go.

At first she was a little hesitant to get the glue on her hands, but after I assured her that it would wash off fairly easily she got into it a bit more.

She worked a lot faster than I did and got 4 done in the time it took me to do 2. Granted our styles were a little different...

And here are our finished products!

 Baby Sis woke up from her nap, so we had to wrap things up. But it was a fun, quick little project. I actually really enjoyed the process of making my eggs. I found it quite relaxing, and it gave me an idea for this month's EtsyKids Design Challenge ...

Miss M did say to me at the end that she needed more lessons because hers didn't look like mine. I told her we each have our own way of doing things, and that if she wants hers to look more like mine she has to be willing to get her hands a bit more dirty and sticky next time. She asked if she could just paint hers with paint instead of with fabric then.  Elbow deep in the mud or sand and she is happy as a clam, a little glue on the fingers though ... she is a funny kid.

Dressing a Stylish Poodle

I hate throwing away fabric. I can't shake the feeling that fabric has potential, no matter how small. So, as a result I have bags full of bits and pieces of the fabrics I have used in my projects over the years.  I am convinced that one day I am going to come up with a great idea that will use them all.  This is actually one of the things that drew me to quilting in the first place. I love the look of patchwork quilts AND I would have something to do with all my scraps! But, patchwork quilts take a lot of time to piece together and there are several items ahead of that on my current project to do list. So, I am always excited when I find new ideas for ways to use my scraps.

The other day I came across this wonderful tutorial by Carrie at This Mama Makes Stuff on making Fabric Scrap Paper Dolls. She even provides a .pdf of 6 different adorable paper dolls to use as templates (which is fantastic because I can't draw a stick figure to save my life).  Even though the tutorial recommends this activity for kids 6 and up, I thought Miss M could handle it (she is a very mature 4.5 year old :) ) and I couldn't wait to try it out with her. So, today we gathered some of the scraps from the bag hanging on my sewing table, some glue and scissors and got to work.

We managed to make some room for our project on the always crowded playroom table. The dinosaurs and hairy spider looked on curiously as Miss M got her first lesson in using mama's fabric scissors (and learning that we don't cut anything but fabric with those scissors).

We had a couple of near misses, but nobody lost a finger in the process, which is always a good thing.

Once the "stylish" poodle was all dressed in her skirt, shirt, shoes & hat, Miss M decided she needed some tights.

Then, she assured me that "she's not bleeding, she just has a red face".

When she was all done, we added the Stylish Poodle to our Art Gallery. Miss M LOVED this project. She went on to do 3 more dolls after the poodle.

I am not sure what my favorite part of the whole experience was - listening to her make up stories about the people she was creating and why they were wearing the "clothes" she was picking out for them, or watching her create and develop her technique with each doll. By the last one (which I forgot to photograph) she had figured out how to cut out pants, a scarf and mittens. We worked on the first two together, and then I moved over to my sewing table to work on a few things while she kept working on her dolls.  I like giving her time to work things out on her own and seeing what she comes up with. It also makes me really look forward to working on more craft projects with her and teaching her how to sew.

Once something new is ready to replace the Stylish Poodle (the name Miss M gave her creation) on the art wall, I am going to put it away for that day when Miss M designs and makes her first dress.  Then, I can pull the poodle out and show her her very first design project.