String Easter Egg
Our instructions include step by step directions to make a string Easter egg from yarn along with complete pompom making instructions to make chicks for inside the egg.
Finished size approximately 6 1/2" tall.
Materials:
- Cotton yarn in a color of your choice; I used Peaches & Creme brand yarn *
- Yellow Worcester weight yarn
- Fake Easter grass; small amount
- Orange felt; scrap piece
- 12" to 15" length of lace approximately 1" wide
- Four 7mm googly eyes
- Balloon; I used a water balloon
- 12" piece of thin pink ribbon and a 12" piece of thin blue ribbon
- White glue
- Hot glue & hot glue gun
- Spray Stiffener; I used Stiffen Stuff (you can us a liquid stiffener but it is messier - see step #4)
* For the size balloon we used, we were able to make two eggs from one skein of yarn
1) Inflate your balloon to approximately 6" tall. It is important that the balloon you use is egg shaped when inflated and not round.
2) Wrap the 100% cotton yarn around your balloon in a random fashion changing directions often. Continue wrapping until it is as covered as you like. You will still be able to see the balloon through the wrapped yarn. Cut the yarn off the skein and tuck the loose end under some of the wrapped yarn so it doesn't unravel.
3) Tie a piece of yarn around the knot in the balloon.
4) Using a spray stiffener, completely cover the yarn. Be sure to protect your work surface before using the stiffener. You will need to apply 2 - 3 coats of spray stiffener letting it dry completely between coats. Refer to the directions on your stiffener for dry time. If you prefer to use a liquid stiffener, you can but it is a bit messier as you have to cover the yarn in the liquid stiffener prior to wrapping it around the balloon. Use the string you tied to the balloon's knot to hang your egg to dry and be sure to protect the floor below the egg from any drips.
5) Once the stiffener is completely dry, use a pin to pop the balloon and carefully pull it out through one of the spaces between the strings.
6) If you just want an egg without the chicks inside, you are now done or you can tie a string to the top of the egg to hang it.
7) To make an opening in your egg; use a sharp pair of scissors and cut a 3 3/4" tall egg shape out of one of the sides of the egg.
8) Take the piece you cut out of the egg and lay it on your work surface so that it resembles a bowl. Use some white glue to attach some fake grass to the inside of the bowl shape. Set aside for the moment.
9) Using the hot glue gun, glue lace around the opening you cut in the egg.
10) Take the piece you attached the grass to in step 8. Put a little hot glue on the yarn side and place it inside your egg. This will help give it a little weight which will help the egg to stand up. Set the egg aside.
11) Now you need to make the chicks. Cut a 12" piece of the yellow yarn and place it on your work surface (you will be using it shortly). Take the end of your skein of yellow yarn and wrap it around three of your fingers 100 times being sure to keep the tension uniform which will produce uniform loops.
12) Cut the yarn between the skein and the yarn on your fingers. Slide the wrapped yarn off your fingers and lay it on top of the 12" piece of yarn you cut earlier. The cut piece of yarn should be centered between the loops. Knot this piece of yarn tightly around the middle of the loops. When you start trimming your pompom, be careful not to cut these strings as you will need them later.
Tip: When tying the yarn around the middle of the loops - as you knot the yarn - cross the ends and tuck the end of the yarn under the crisscross two times before completing the knot. By doing it this way, you will be able to tie a tighter knot.
13) Cut the loops on both ends and start trimming away at the yarn until you get a nice tight, even, uniform pompom. Don't be alarmed at how much yarn you have to trim off.
14) Make one more pompom the same as described above. Then, make two pompoms by wrapping the yellow yarn around two fingers 75 times each.
15) Take the two larger pompoms and tie them together using the long pieces of yarn that were used to tie around the loops. (refer to tip above for tying tightly) After they are tied, cut these piece so they blend in with the pompom.
16) Repeat step 15 with the two smaller pompoms.
 Wrap yarn around your fingers |
 Tie yarn around center of loops |
 Cut loops on both ends |
 Pompom is messy before trimming |
 Cross strings two times before completing knot |
 Tie two pompoms together to make a chick |
17) Tie a ribbon around where the two pompoms come together. Do this for both chicks.
18) Cut two diamonds out of orange felt that are about 3/4" to 1" long. These are the two beaks. Using white glue, glue one beak onto each chick pushing the middle of the diamond into the pompom. Glue two googly eyes onto each chick.
19) Using hot glue gun, glue both chicks inside your egg.
Ideas:
- If you don't want to make the pompoms, you can purchase pre-made yellow pompoms and glue two together for each chick.
- If you want to make a larger egg, start with a larger balloon but don't forget you will need more lace.