Spring Craft Guide

Tracing-Paper Tulips

There are over 3,000 different varieties of tulips. Originally a Central Asian wildflower, today most tulips are grown and exported from Holland. Young children will have fun experimenting with painting these pretty paper tulips. To make your flowers, take several pieces of tracing or rice paper. Let your child paint the paper with watercolors—the more water, the better. Try wetting the paper first and then brush on a little paint and watch the colors swirl together. Let the paper dry for about ten minutes, and then wipe off excess water. Let the paper dry for an additional ten minutes. Next, help your child to fold each sheet width-wise three times. Now let your child roll the folded paper tightly up into a small cylinder. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the bottom, securing the folds. An adult should do the cutting portion of this craft. Cut about one-quarter to one-half inch off the top and then cut down about an inch in three or four different places on the flower. Help your child fluff the petals, folding some over to look more realistic.

Painted Eggs

Find several wooden eggs, available at most craft stores. Then, try one of these fun decorations:

• Paint with acrylic paints, then wrap and glue thin strips of ribbon or sequins around the eggs.
• Using finger paints, cover the eggs with fingerprint designs, like a bunny (a fingerprint for each ear and one for the face), a flower, or fancy shapes and swirls.
• To make swirl eggs, drip three to five different colors of acrylic paint onto a disposable plate. With a paintbrush, gently swirl the paints together (take care not to over-swirl the colors or you'll just end up with brown eggs). Next, roll the eggs through the paints.
• Try gluing colored tissue paper, magazine cutouts, or photocopies of family photos onto the eggs. Using a paintbrush, apply glue (diluted with a few drops of water) or decoupage adhesive all over the egg. (This decoration can also work with plastic eggs.)