Diorama Easter Eggs! Looking for a fun new way to decorate Easter eggs with the kids? These Diorama Easter Eggs are so fun and simple to make. And my favorite part? They're made using REAL eggs! Today, I'm so excited to share with you all how you can make your very own diorama Easter eggs with the kids this holiday. PLUS, my NYC themed Diorama Easter Egg, that was featured in the April 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine!
Friends, I can't even express how much gratitude I feel for this fun feature in Food Network Magazine. My mom was a die-hard fan of Food Network since its inception in the early 90's {now I enjoy watching with my kids!} She loved watching and making all of the delicious recipes featured on Food Network; she was a fabulous cook and a bit of a food artist {way before it was on-trend.} Though she is no longer with us, when I walked into the book store to pick up my issue of the magazine, I had an overwhelming sense that she was with me in that moment. So incredibly thankful to the folks at Food Network Magazine for including me in the "United States of Easter Eggs" feature, and for allowing me to represent the great state of New York.
My NYC Diorama Easter Egg features a black and white silhouette of the NYC skyline on the outside, and was finished in sugar, to resemble an old fashioned sugared Easter egg. On the inside of my Diorama Easter egg, I included a fun cartoon drawing of The Plaza Hotel, as seen from the path inside Central Park in Spring. For me, the Plaza Hotel and Central Park are the embodiment of what NYC is all about. New York City is such a glorious mixture of classiness and {beautiful} quirkiness. Seriously friends, there's a surprise around every corner in this city! It kinda' gives you the sense that anything's possible. It's pure magic!
Read on for a full supply list and my tutorial on how you can make your own Diorama Easter Eggs with the kids this holiday {including an adorable mini "Fairy Garden in a real Easter egg." So adorable, and so simple!
What you'll need:
- Real eggs
- An embroidery needle
- Scissors
- A paint brush
- Mod Podge
- Heavy white craft paper (1 piece)
- Duck Tape or masking tape
- A low temp hot glue gun / low temp hot glue sticks
- Craft moss
- Watercolors, paints, crayons, colored pencils, markers etc. (whichever you prefer to color the outside of your eggs and create your pictures for the inside of your diorama eggs.
- Craft foam (a small amount is all that's necessary - about 1/2"H x 1/2" W is all that you'll need for each Easter egg to glue your moss down to.)
- Optional: Granulated sugar to create an old fashioned "Sugared" Easter Egg finish/appearance. Faux flowers, any additional small add-ins for your diorama Easter eggs that you prefer etc.
How to:
1. Start by hollowing out your eggs. Cut a small piece of Duck tape or masking tape. Affix to the front of your egg. Carefully punch/push an embroidery needle into the face of the egg (where your tape is affixed / through the taped area). Move in a circle (refer to images above). Once you've pressed the needle through the face of the egg in a complete circular pattern. Gently pull the tape off of the face of the egg (the tape should bring the center circle that you created with your needle with it. Next, gently turn egg over and hold the egg above a bowl. Allow the contents to empty out into a bowl. Once emptied, rinse your egg out with warm water. Now, very gently break away a bit more of the egg with your hands, to create a wider opening on the front/face of your egg. Set egg to the side and allow to air-dry before moving on to the next step.
2. Once your eggs are dry, use paint/water colors to color / decorate the outside of your eggs to your preference. Once you're happy with your design / color. Allow paint adequate time to dry. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the outside of your egg to create a shiny finish and make the shell of the egg a bit stronger. Allow adequate time for drying. If sugaring the outside of the egg. Apply an additional thin layer of Mod Podge to the outside of the egg (in small sections) and roll in granulated sugar. Allow adequate time for drying.
3. Cut small pieces of heavy craft paper about 2"H x 1"H (refer to image below). Draw / paint an image to your preference (my daughter drew a little fairy cottage / house for her Fairy Garden Diorama Easter egg ( pictured above and below.) Once complete, slide the image into the back of the Easter egg (refer to images above below.) Once positioned properly, use a paintbrush and a thin layer of Mod Podge to secure it to the back of the egg (paint a thin layer around the edges of the image/paper where the paper meets the egg.)
4. Cut a small piece of craft foam (about 1/2" x 1/2" - just enough that it sits just under the image that you've affixed to the back of your egg when placed / glued to the bottom inner "lip" of your egg. (refer to images above and below.) Use a small dab of low temp hot glue to secure the craft foam into the bottom of the egg. Press/hold in place until glue sets. Use a small dab of low temp hot glue to cover the surface of the craft foam inside of egg. Place/glue craft moss to the top of the craft foam to create the look of grass in your Diorama Easter eggs. Glue any additional add-ins that you may have. Display and enjoy!
Many thanks again to the folks at Food Network Magazine, for including me and onesavvymom.net, in this fun United States of Easter Eggs feature! You can check out all 50 States {in Easter Eggs}at www.foodnetwork.com and in the April 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine, available on newsstands NOW!
Happy crafting & Happy Easter everyone!
