Easter Egg Decorating Idea - Stained Glass Eggs

Happy Easter Weekend!  Good Friday always creeps up on me faster than Easter, even though I know it's just as important as Easter itself.  It's a very somber day (I've had a sad lump in my throat all day) because it commemorates the day when Jesus died on the cross for all our sins, but the truth is that the horrid event had to happen in order for the glory of the resurrection to occur on Easter Day.  He is risen; He is risen indeed!  And the best part is - we are saved and made a new creation, washed clean as snow, because of it!

To commemorate Easter I wanted to share a fun Easter egg craft with you that you can do with your family this weekend.  I call them Stained Glass Eggs because the finish reminds me of pretty stained glass windows that you'd find in an old church.  I got the original idea and instructions from a blog called Wee Folk Art.

You can do this with real eggs or go the more lasting (less breakable) route with some pastel-colored plastic eggs from the store.

Materials:
Boiled/blown eggs, or plastic eggs (I selected the lightest colored plastic eggs from the package)
Colored tissue paper
Mod Podge
2 sponge brushes or flat-head paintbrushes
Water in a small dish

Oh, and you'll want some "egg-holders".  I recommend finding a cardboard paper-towel or toilet paper roll and cutting it into small circle sections, or using soda or milk bottle lids.  These will be very useful for the drying process.

Instructions:

1. Tear up your tissue paper into small pieces - I did rough 1" by 1" squares, but they can be strips or any shape you choose.

2. Dipping your sponge brush in the dish of water, lightly wet an egg.  (We'll work one egg at a time at this point.)  You don't want it soaking/dripping wet, just damp all over.

3. Press a piece of tissue paper to the egg - the paper will stick because of the dampness.  Lightly brush more water on top of your tissue paper with the sponge brush/paintbrush until it fully adheres to the curvature of the egg.  Repeat this step with your pieces of tissue paper until the entire egg is covered.

 (I held the egg while I did this step - this photo was staged...)

4. Repeat with your other eggs, and allow eggs to dry for about 15-20 minutes.  The tissue paper on the eggs will still be damp to the touch.   

(VERY IMPORTANT - do not let the eggs dry too much or the tissue paper will crumble off the egg when you move to the Mod Podge step below)

5. Pour out some Mod Podge on a paper plate.  With a dry sponge brush/paintbrush, gently cover the exposed portions of the eggs (the portion above the "egg-holder") with a thin layer of Mod Podge.  I held the egg with 2 fingers and used a dabbing-type motion with the brush so I wouldn't tear the tissue paper off.  If the tissue paper has dried too much and starts to flake off, just take your time and adhere it to the egg with the Mod Podge.  Let dry completely.

6. Flip your dry eggs over and apply Mod Podge to the section of the eggs that were under the "egg-holders".  Since this tissue paper will be much drier than the paper you worked with earlier, you will have to carefully stick the paper to the egg with the Mod Podge...no worries, it's a small section of the egg.  Repeat on all your eggs and let dry completely.

That's it!  Display your eggs in a centerpiece or use the plastic egg version for an Easter Egg hunt.  The plastic ones can be saved for years to come!

Have you seen any other good egg decorating ideas?  Do you have any fun plans for Easter celebrations this year?  Please share with us by commenting below.  Hope you have a blessed Easter time with your friends and family!
-Kristen