Tie Dye Easter Cross
When you see what this colorful cross is made of and how simple it is to make, you won't believe it. You can also get a little extra learning in and talk about how the colors mix to create new colors.
What You'll Need:
- Egg Carton (We used a foam one, but paper should do too)
- Paper Towel
- White Glue (Like Elmer's)
- Scissors
- Food Coloring
- Water
What to Do:
1. Cut the egg cup side of the egg carton into a cross shape. If you have one of those cartons that holds 18 eggs or more, you cut it out in one piece. Our is four egg cups down and three across.
If you're using a one dozen egg carton, just cut two strips. One will be four cups long and the other would be three cups long. Then staple (or glue) them together into a cross.
Very young children will need help with this step.
2. Wet your paper towel and then ring it out thoroughly. You don't want it to be dripping, or it will take your project a lot longer to dry.
3. Spread a layer of white glue all over the bumpy side of the cross. Be sure to pretty much cover it with glue.
4. Lay the wet paper towel over the top of the cross and the glue. Push the paper towel around so that it completely covers the cross and tuck it in the crannies of the egg carton. Then fold the loose edges of the paper towel under the edges of the cross. You just want to get them out of the way for now... we'll trim them later.
5. Once you have the egg carton cross completely covered, it's time to apply the color. To do this, drip drops of food coloring onto the wet paper towel. Do this sparingly and let the colors blend together.
6. When you have the color applied, let the paper dry completely. Once dry, turn it over to the back side and trim away the excess paper towel. Tuck in the edges of the paper and glue them down to the back side of the egg carton cross.
That's It!
Variations:
Water down the food coloring and use an eyedropper to apply. That will give you a more pastel color appearance when dry, rather than the bright colors.
Cut a piece of paper, foam, or cardboard the size of the cross and glue it to the backside of the project to give it a more finished appearance.
Create two of these crosses and then glue them wrong sides together. This would make a good project to hang in a window or from the ceiling.
Add other things to the project like words, ribbons, lace, etc.
