Fabric Eggs and Fluffy Chicks

I'm having way too much fun with the Easter theme! I don't have as much time as I'd like to sew right now so I manage to fit smaller projects like these. I love putting them all together for photographs:



QUICK Fabric Egg TUTORIAL
The idea of this is similar to making a papier mache pinata, which I did as a kid. We used strips of newspaper and glue over a balloon. The glue hardened and we popped the balloon, painted and decorated the outside and filled it with candy. Laying the strips over the egg is similar to laying the newspaper strips over the balloon. The fabric stiffener will make the fabric very hard. If you could find an egg shaped balloon, you could probably make a hollow egg using this technique!

Supplies:

1. Styrofoam eggs (mine are goose eggs, about 3" but you can try other sizes or use other eggs, wooden eggs would be good but they were expensive when I was looking)

2. "Stiffy" fabric stiffener (available at craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby)

3. Applicator sponge or small paint brush (I had a problem with the bristles coming out of the brush and onto the eggs so I used a sponge applicator)

4. Cotton fabric cut into strips (I used Michael Miller "Dumb Dot" scraps in pink, aqua and blue. My strips were about 3/4" wide by about 4-5" long. This worked well for the egg size. A smaller egg might require shorter and more narrow strips and a larger egg might require longer strips.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Lay something down on the table where you work so you can be messy. I used wax paper. Don't use newspaper or anything that the print can come off of when wet.

Place a strip of fabric down on the table and cover it on both sides with the fabric stiffener using the sponge applicator (btw, this is messy, your hands will get sticky). I used a lot of the stiffener, the more the better to make it stay on the Styrofoam.

Place the fabric strip across the egg and smooth it down. Use more stiffener if needed. It might not stick to the styrofoam right away but once you get a few strips on, it will start to stick.

Continue wetting fabric and placing on the egg in a pattern so you completely cover the styrofoam.

When the egg is completely covered in fabric and you like the way it looks, sponge another layer of stiffener on it and smooth all the fabric down. Let dry on a surface that won't allow it to stick (wax paper worked great).

It will take awhile to dry, overnight is best.

Now you're finished! You can decorate it further if you want, I thought about making it sparkly with clear glitter or put rick rack around it, or other colors of fabric, possibilities are endless!