create (with kids): Easter Craftiness

Like I shared earlier this week, I debated saving these pictures for next year. To keep them to post right before next Easter, when they'd be a bit more timely than sharing now. However, I wasn't sure I could keep all these sweet foot-print pictures to myself for that long- and I was even less positive that I would be able to find them next year- so I'm sharing them now. I'll also share a few non-Easter related ways to use these ideas, so you don't have to wait a whole year before trying them out for yourselves!

Having nieces on the other side of the country has perfected our mailing skills! Isia loves to compile little collections of things for her cousins- usually stickers and fairy tattoos. For their Easter package, we filled a dozen eggs with an assortment of goodies. There were, of course, stickers and tattoos as well as little bracelets, princess socks (one sock per egg), and a make-your-own necklace kit among other things. I then looped silver thread through the top and stuck two star stickers together over the ends to make a label for their initial. 

Isia decorated the top, it reads "Isia Happy Easter." We then wrapped it first in bubble wrap and brown grocery sack paper before mailing it on its way. According to my lovely sister-in-law it arrived intact and was well-enjoyed. It's definitely a package method we'll be using again before next Easter! Wouldn't it be fun to fill an egg carton with art supplies or nature goodies? (Love all these egg carton gift ideas from Design Mom.) Such a great way to reuse materials and make sure your package will arrive in one piece (wink).

Then there was a small bout of egg dying. We kept it simple this year- just star stickers resists. It's a favorite technique around here. We love filling a paper with stickers- the thin, metallic kind are the best- then painting or drawing over them. When everything is dry, it's so much fun to peel them off and see their imprint left behind. Speaking of foot-prints...

...Isia enjoyed lending hers to make bunnies for our Easter card. We used assorted paper (including some previous artworks) for the background, then added the face & cotton-ball tail when they were dry. Aren't they sweet? She was so proud of them! Foot-print bunny cards aren't limited to Easter of course, you can always send a "Some bunny loves you" card or wish someone a "Hoppy Birthday." (smile) I sadly realized that our season of sending Isia's foot-print in the mail is almost over. Do you see how it barely fits on the paper? She's getting pretty good at this whole growing up thing.